Grilled Flank Steak with Asian Pesto Noodles

The challenge

Preparing a refreshing, summery side dish of Asian rice stick noodles.

The convention

Soaking the rice sticks in hot water for 20 minutes to soften, before cooking them through quickly and tossing the noodles with a dressing or sauce.

The quickie

Boiling them in water like Italian pasta, with the critical step of rinsing them afterwards to remove the starch, which would otherwise make the noodles gluey.

HOW THIS QUICKIE WORKS

• Flank steak, simply seasoned with salt and pepper, grills up quickly, rests briefly, and is sliced across the grain
• Ingredients for the Asian-inspired pesto come together easily using a food processor: peanuts, fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro, mint, jalapeno, and coconut milk
• The rice sticks are boiled until al dente (about 6 minutes), then rinsed off before being tossed with the pesto

HOW THIS QUICKIE COOKS UP

Rinsing the noodles after cooking is a must; otherwise they will be starchy and gluey. Knowing this simple step will save time (or countless hours over the long run) for any rice-stick fanatic.