Chilled Lemongrass Beef & Noodles

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Zest the lime to get 1 teaspoon (if you don’t have a zester, use a peeler to remove the green rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind). Quarter the lime. Cut off and discard the ends of the lemongrass. Peel away the fibrous outer layers to reach the pliable white core; finely chop the core. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, lime zest, and the juice of 1 lime wedge. 

Separate the beef; pat dry with paper towels. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the beef in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned. Add the chopped lemongrass, chopped garlic, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the beef is just cooked through. Transfer to the bowl of sauce; stir to coat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, peel the carrots; grate on the large side of a box grater. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and the juice of the remaining lime wedges until the sugar has dissolved. Add the grated carrots and sliced cucumber. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water, stirring gently to separate. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water 30 seconds to 1 minute to cool. Add the cooled noodles and marinated vegetables to the bowl of dressed beef; stir to thoroughly combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!