If you're looking for something different and are not interested in dining out, give this Chinese restaurant classic a try. It doesn't require a wok but does include some traditional Chinese ingredients.
The original recipe was from Cook's Illustrated, but I have modified it some over time. The good folks there have figured out how to get a tender beef without using the classic velveting technique, which requires marinating it in cornstarch and egg white then blanching in hot oil. It's messy and time consuming. Instead in this recipe they use cornstarch and baking soda which renders the meat nicely tender but still has a little chew. Perfection!
In making the dinner you'll find it takes you more time to cut the meat and produce, and to assemble the two sauces than it does to do the actual cooking. However, you can do the vegetable slicing while the beef is marinating, which saves some time, as noted in my instructions below.
Ingredients (dinner for 4 adults)
4 teaspoons plus 4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat and silver skin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
substitute dry sherry
3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
substitute oyster sauce
2 teaspoon rice vinegar
substitute cider vinegar
1 1/3 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
substitute standard sesame oil or any nut oil
2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons canola (or other vegetable) oil
1 red/yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium sized sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice (per package instructions)
Instructions
Cut steak with grain into 2- to 2 1/2 -inch strips, then cut each strip crosswise against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Combine 4 teaspoons water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar together in small bowl. Add soy sauce mixture to beef, stir to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
While the beef is marinating, prepare the peppers by removing the stems and seeds and slice into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Peel the the husk on the sweet onion and cut in half. Slice into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Whisk remaining 4 tablespoons water, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons sherry, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 2 teaspoons brown sugar, hoisin/oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and ground black pepper together in second bowl.
You are now ready to stir-fry. I use a 12-inch non-stick skillet for this recipe. If you have a good wok that is well seasoned and food doesn't stick to it, you can use that instead.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet/wok over high heat until just smoking. Add beef in single layer. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer. Meat will still be pink in spots. Transfer to medium bowl.
Return skillet to high heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add bell peppers and sweet onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, and ginger and cooking 1 minute. Return beef to skillet with vegetables and stir to combine.
Whisk sauce to recombine. Add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately over white rice.
Where substitutions are possible I have provided those alternatives. I had on-hand only a half green bell pepper and a whole yellow gypsy pepper, so that's what I used in the above photo.
The original recipe was from Cook's Illustrated, but I have modified it some over time. The good folks there have figured out how to get a tender beef without using the classic velveting technique, which requires marinating it in cornstarch and egg white then blanching in hot oil. It's messy and time consuming. Instead in this recipe they use cornstarch and baking soda which renders the meat nicely tender but still has a little chew. Perfection!
In making the dinner you'll find it takes you more time to cut the meat and produce, and to assemble the two sauces than it does to do the actual cooking. However, you can do the vegetable slicing while the beef is marinating, which saves some time, as noted in my instructions below.
Ingredients (dinner for 4 adults)
4 teaspoons plus 4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat and silver skin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
substitute dry sherry
3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
substitute oyster sauce
2 teaspoon rice vinegar
substitute cider vinegar
1 1/3 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
substitute standard sesame oil or any nut oil
2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons canola (or other vegetable) oil
1 red/yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium sized sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice (per package instructions)
Instructions
Cut steak with grain into 2- to 2 1/2 -inch strips, then cut each strip crosswise against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Combine 4 teaspoons water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar together in small bowl. Add soy sauce mixture to beef, stir to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
While the beef is marinating, prepare the peppers by removing the stems and seeds and slice into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Peel the the husk on the sweet onion and cut in half. Slice into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Whisk remaining 4 tablespoons water, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons sherry, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 2 teaspoons brown sugar, hoisin/oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and ground black pepper together in second bowl.
You are now ready to stir-fry. I use a 12-inch non-stick skillet for this recipe. If you have a good wok that is well seasoned and food doesn't stick to it, you can use that instead.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet/wok over high heat until just smoking. Add beef in single layer. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer. Meat will still be pink in spots. Transfer to medium bowl.
Return skillet to high heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add bell peppers and sweet onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, and ginger and cooking 1 minute. Return beef to skillet with vegetables and stir to combine.
Whisk sauce to recombine. Add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately over white rice.
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