A few years ago Fine Cooking did a series where they showed readers how to make their favourite take-out recipes at home. This is how this one was discussed:
As seductive as picking up the telephone and ordering in on a busy weeknight may be, you can throw together a stir-fry quicker than it takes a delivery person to get to your door. Even better, this dish is just as good as—or even better than—anything you'll find in a to-go carton.
Those who gather the ingredients and give this one a try will NOT be disappointed - it is an amazing dish.
This was the last of the dishes I made last Friday for our impromptu Asian feast. I think it may have been my favourite of the three. I loved the heat and the layers of flavours. Some might find it too spicy for them . . . we did NOT.
The flank steak that I had in the freezer was HUGE. I doubled the recipe and was glad that I had done so - the leftovers just got better and better.
Spicy Beef with Peanuts and Chiles
1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced on the diagonal against the grain
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped (don’t seed)
3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil (I used Thai basil)
Toss the steak with 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, 1 tsp. of the fish sauce, and the salt. Combine the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce and 1 tsp. fish sauce with 1 Tbs. of the lime juice and the brown sugar and set aside.
Pulse the peanuts, shallots, and chiles in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil and once it's shimmering, add the beef. Cook, stirring, until the beef just loses its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and the shallot mixture, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the pan. Stir the soy mixture and add it, along with half of the cilantro and basil, and cook, stirring to let the flavors meld, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve sprinkled with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, and basil
It does sound better than take out Jerry!!!
Posted by: bellini | April 26, 2012 at 08:14 AM
A great choice...the only thing about all that is that I still have the dishes to do! That said, knowing what and who touched your food is always preferable to me, so thanks for the recipe!
Posted by: Kayte | May 05, 2012 at 09:05 PM
It sure was bellini. So much take out Asian food involves things being battered and fried!
Yopu're right Kayte. It must be my control issues (who knew?)
Posted by: JDeQ | May 06, 2012 at 05:47 PM