Email to Cat      

Stir-Fried Beef with Sugar Snap Peas and Red Peppers

Source of Recipe

From "The Cook's Illustrated Meat Book" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"For a stir-fry with well-browned, tender, and savory beef, just follow these guidelines. Start with full-flavored flank steak. Marinate the beef in soy sauce to ensure that each slice is well seasoned. Cook in batches to get the best browning. Add aromatics such as ginger and garlic at the last minute to prevent them from scorching. To make slicing the flank steak easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. Serve with Sticky Rice."

List of Ingredients

Sauce:
â—¦ ½ cup chicken broth
â—¦ ¼ cup oyster sauce
â—¦ 2 tablespoons dry sherry
â—¦ 1 tablespoon sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Stir-fry:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ 1 (12-ounce) flank steak, trimmed and sliced thin against grain on slight bias
â—¦ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
â—¦ 12 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed
â—¦ 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
â—¦ 2 tablespoons water


Recipe

For the sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl and set aside.

For the stir-fry: Combine soy sauce and sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, combine 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger in small bowl.

Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer, break up any clumps, and cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Stir beef and continue to cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Repeat with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining beef. Rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to clean, dry skillet and heat until just smoking. Add snap peas and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water and continue to cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir mixture into vegetables. Return beef and any accumulated juices to skillet and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, add to skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.

Serves 4