Basic Beef Stir-Fry

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Introduction

Learning to stir-fry can be intimidating, but ultimately it’s very rewarding. This style of cooking opens all-new avenues for quick cooking. The ingredients need not be Chinese; for instance, stir-frying asparagus with garlic and olive oil is a wonderful method for creating an otherwise Italian vegetable dish. No need for a stopwatch. Your eyes and nose will clue you when the vegetables have gone from raw to crisp-tender, and when the meat, chicken, or fish is cooked just right. The ingredient list could have been shortened, but we wanted to balance simplicity, authenticity, and great taste. All of the ingredients are available in a well-stocked supermarket. Items such as hoisin sauce and oyster sauce will keep indefinitely in your refrigerator, ready for your next stir-fry. Serve this beef stir-fry with steamed white rice.

Ingredients

Marinade

Sauce

Cornstarch-Water Mixture

Steps

1. Wrap flank steak in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for ½ hour. (This will make the slicing process easier.) Remove plastic wrap and, with a sharp knife, cut steak across the grain into thin slices, about ⅛ inch thick. Cut each slice into 1½-inch lengths and set aside. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add sliced beef, cover, and refrigerate while you are preparing the other ingredients. (The beef can marinate up to 2 days prior to cooking.)
2. Prepare, measure, and mix the following ingredients in separate containers, as follows, and place them next to your stove before you start cooking. Place 5 tablespoons corn oil in a measuring cup. Combine ginger and bell peppers in a bowl. Place scallions in another small bowl. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Combine cornstarch and water in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Remove marinated meat from refrigerator. Have a slotted spoon and a dinner plate right next to stove.
3. Heat a 14-inch wok or 12-inch frying pan over high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add half the oil; when it just begins to smoke add beef. Stir-fry, using a spatula to separate the meat. When meat is nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes, remove to reserved plate, using the slotted spoon. Return wok to burner, add remaining oil, and heat. When hot, add ginger mixture to wok and stir-fry until peppers are glistening and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add scallions and stir-fry 1 minute longer. Return beef to wok, including any juice on the plate, and stir to combine. Then add sauce to the pan and stir-fry until hot, about 1 minute. Push beef and vegetables to side of pan, shake the cornstarch-water mixture and add about half to the sauce. Stir to heat and watch how it thickens. If lightly thickened, toss with beef and vegetables to coat; if still thin, add a bit more thickener. Remember, you can always thicken more, so go slowly with the cornstarch mixture. Toss 1 or 2 times to thoroughly combine, then remove to a heated serving bowl or plates. Serve immediately.

Notes

• All of your slicing and measuring can be completed as much as 1 day ahead. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove ingredients 1/2 hour before stir-frying.
• Use low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer.
• Oyster sauce is literally a sauce made from oysters; brown in color, it adds a fragrant flavor to Chinese dishes. Hoisin sauce is made from soybeans, garlic, vinegar, sugar, chilies, etc. Also brown in color, it has a pungent and delightful flavor. Oyster sauce typically comes in a bottle, while hoisin sauce is available either canned or in a glass jar. If canned, store remaining sauce in a glass or plastic container with a well-fitting lid.
• Red pepper flakes are found with the spices; store in the refrigerator to prevent flavor loss.
• Buy small quantities of fresh ginger at a time. It keeps well, if wrapped in paper towels and stored in the refrigerator, but after a while it will mold and should be discarded. In the market, it is OK to break off a small knob from a large root of ginger and buy just that piece.
• Other vegetables can be substituted for the bell peppers. Use asparagus or broccoli, for instance, cut into bite-size pieces. If using broccoli by all means use the stems; when cut on the diagonal into “coins” broccoli stems are delightful stir-fried.
• If you are familiar with canned baby ears of corn, they can be fun to add to a stir-fry. Substitute for either the green or red peppers in this recipe. Drain and blot dry, then add along with the bell pepper to the stir-fry.
• If flank steak is not available, good substitutes are boneless strip steak, sirloin, or rib-eye steak.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.