Japchae

Boil the glass noodles for 6-7 minutes, rinse in cold water, then pre-season with 1 Tbsp soy sauce + 1 Tbsp sesame oil.

~10 min

Why: Pre-seasoning gets the flavor deep into the noodles and keeps them from sticking together — half of japchae's flavor.

Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds and squeeze it dry; julienne the onion, carrot, and mushrooms.

~8 min

Stir-fry each vegetable separately with a pinch of salt, 1-2 minutes each, and collect them in a large bowl.

~8 min

Watch out: Cook them all together and they release water, muddying the colors and textures — do them separately, even if it's a chore.

Toss the beef with 2 Tbsp of the sauce and stir-fry over high heat.

~4 min

Add the noodles and the remaining sauce to the pan and stir-fry 2 minutes over medium heat so they soak up the seasoning.

~3 min

Combine the noodles, vegetables, and beef in the bowl and toss with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

~3 min

Why: Mixing off the heat at the end keeps the vegetables' colors bright and the sesame aroma from cooking off.