Here's a stir-fry far better than most take-out Chinese, and you can make it with any lean cut of meat — flank steak, London broil, tenderloin, sirloin or skirt steak — so long as it is cut thin against the grain. The recipe called for snow peas, but sugar snaps are juicier and more succulent, and just as crunchy. (Their downside is that they are slightly more work: they need to be thinly sliced.)
This recipe comes from one of my favorite long-time blogs Back Road Journal. My experience with her recipes is that they are flavourful and generally more healthy than others you'll find online.
Paul had everything prepped and ready to go when I came home from work the other day. 30 minutes later we were sitting down to a wonderful dinner.
Sesame Beef With Snow Peas In A Garlic Ginger Sauce
1 lb. of sirloin or steak of your choice, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain into bite size strips (you can buy pre sliced or slightly freeze the steak for easier cutting)
6 Tbsp. peanut or canola oil
2 onions, cut into quarters and then cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
4 Tbsp. minced garlic, about 4 or 5 cloves
2 c. snow peas, cut in half on the diagonal
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. corn starch
4 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
3 Tbsp. chili sauce with garlic
4 Tbsp. Shaoxing Chinese rice wine, sherry or white wine
3 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Marinate the beef by sprinkling with the corn starch and stir to coat. Add the pepper and sesame oil, stir and let marinate at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. (This Chinese technique helps to tenderize the meat).
In the meantime, prepare the sauce by dissolving 1 tsp. corn starch in the water then add the remaining sauce ingredients. Mix well and taste for flavor, if necessary adjust to your own taste and then set aside until ready to cook.
Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet until very hot. Cook, not stirring the beef, in batches so that the meat browns and doesn’t steam, about 30 seconds on each side. As each batch is finished, remove to a paper towel to drain.
Add the onions to the skillet and cook until translucent, then add the ginger, garlic and snow peas and cook until the peas are just starting to get tender. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out any remaining oil and add the sauce to the skillet. Cook until it thickens slightly. Add the meat back to the pan, stirring until just heated through. Then add the vegetables, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and stir until heated through. Remove the stir fry to a large platter and serve.
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