We are going to break stride here for this post slash recipe. Yep, we’re are going to prepare a dish that is not only delicious but can also be classified as simple, quick and maybe even healthy. This is purely coincidental I assure you.

When it comes to cooking true Asian cuisines, I am pretty much a noob. Oh there have been a handful of successful excursions like Spicy Asian Pork Dumplings and Asian Hot & Sour Fish. But we want to go further, deep into the traditions and ultimately utilize what we learn to fuse with other spicy cuisines. Or to just learn to make a good spring roll. This simple (but tasty) Beef Stir Fry recipe is good basic training for me.

Since this is recipe is not comprised of layer upon layer of flavors, I am going to focus primarily on texture and technique. This exercise in attention to detail will hopefully serve me well as I venture into cooking more complex Asian dishes at home.

I love all types of spicy food, but I am especially fond Asian (Thai, Sichuan, Korean etc..) and I have always wanted to be able to fire up these great cuisines in my own kitchen so expect  more “attempts” at authentic spicy Asian dishes from CCF. Stay tuned and learn from my mistakes. Nervous smiley face.

P.S. If you have expertise in Asian cuisines, please help out by adding your two cents in the comment section. Thanks!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 lb sirloin or flank steak, trimmed of almost all fat
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing or any Chinese rice wine
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh peeled ginger
• 1 teaspoon grate fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• canola oil
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 – 4 tablespoons Smabal Oelek garlic chile paste (up to you but every tablespoon equals a level on the heat factor below)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 large green onions, halved length and cut into 1 inch strips
• 1 cup mushrooms (shitake work well but I used baby bellas)
• 1 1/2 cup fresh, chopped broccoli florets
• 2cups cooked rice

PREPARATION:

Mise en place has never been so important than when you are stir frying. Make sure to prep everything and have all components ready, along with necessary utensils and adequate empty plates or bowls before you heat up the wok.

Let’s talk a bit more about prep. For the beef. Make sure to trim 95% of the fat away and then slice the meat against the grain on a bias about 1/4″ thin. You can slightly chill the steak in the freezer to assist in achieving such thins slices. Cutting the veggies into small portions helps them to cook quicker and more evenly. I steamed the peppers and broccoli for about 3 minutes as part of prep, but this is optional. I like my veggies to be tender with just a snap while other prefer them to have more of a crisp.

1. Mix the cornstarch, rice wine, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a medium bowl. Add the beef strips and stir to coat. Set aside.

2. Now mix together the ketchup, chile paste, hoisin sauce and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Now pour about 2 tablespoons of canola oil into a very hot wok. Water droplets should dance, when sprinkled on to the wok. That’s when it is hot enough to add the oil.

Deal Breaker Moment.

Why? Because this beef will quickly become tough if even just slightly over cooked. It is going back into the wok after this step to finish cooking so don’t allow it to sizzle away for more than a minutes per side.

Quickly add about 1/2 of the beef and cook for about one minute then quickly flip the strips for another 45 seconds. You want the meat to still have a hint of pink in the middle. Remove to a bowl along with any reaming liquid from the wok.

4. Now add about 2 tablespoons more of the canola oil and cook the mushrooms, broccoli and peppers until tender. About 4 minutes but this is however you prefer your veggies. Now add the beef and liquid back to the wok and pour in the chile paste mixture and throw in the green onions. Stir and cook until the liquid begins to thicken, about 2 -3 minutes and remove from heat. Add a splash of soy if required. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with more green onions.

Technique and texture.

The end result should be tender strips of beef (not dry and or chewy) with fresh colorful yet tender veggies with a snap, along with a wonderfully spicy, distinctively Asian sauce. You can sub pork, chicken or shrimp for the beef. Just remember to whatever protein small enough for faster cooking.

Serves 4

Heat Factor: This gets a heat level equal to the amount of full tablespoons of the Sambal Oelek you add. 1 tablespoon equals Heat Factor 1. 4 tablespoons equals Heat Factor 4