For my entire life at school, I qualified for free lunch, and since we were poor and my parents were always too tired from working, there was no way in hell that they would ever pack me lunch. So, I actually didn’t go through the same trials and tribulations as some of my counterparts, who brought foreign or “weird” smelling things that their immigrant parents packed them for lunch. However, there was one occasion that my mom would be forced to make me lunch, and that was when we had a school field trip. I remember how badly I wanted to be just like everyone else and begged my mom for a lunchable. Without fail, though, there was always one thing she made me, and it was instant noodle stir-fry. No Costco trip in our household was complete without the purchase of the 48-count Maruchan instant noodles with chicken and beef flavors, so we always had it on hand.
On top of that, we definitely couldn’t have afforded good cuts of meat, but she wanted to ensure I had a complete meal. My mom was a magician at utilizing every part of the cow, making tough meat cuts more palatable. Using the humble eye of round, she would mix it with baking soda and a little bit of water to tenderize the beef, making it juicy and tender; this process is actually a Chinese technique called velveting.
This recipe hits home for me and is a little piece of my childhood that I’m excited to share with you.
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This is definitely nostalgic for me. Grew up eating this when my parents were too busy.