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Ginger Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Source of Recipe

From "Williams Sonoma: Cooking at Home" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"Fast, easy, and economical, this Asian-inspired dish uses quite a bit of oil that is then poured off, resulting in a finished dish that isn't oily at all. Serve with steamed rice."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 pound flank steak
◦ 1 tablespoon *each* soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, and cornstarch
◦ � pound fresh ginger, cut into matchstick strips
◦ Salt
◦ 1 cup peanut oil
◦ 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
◦ 1 clove garlic, minced
◦ 3 tablespoons dry sherry
◦ 1 teaspoon sugar


Recipe

Cut the steak against the grain into slices about 2 � inches long and ⅛ inch thick. Place in a bowl and add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix well and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. In another bowl, toss the ginger strips with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand until the ginger softens, about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Place a wok or large, heavy frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the peanut oil is almost smoking, add the beef and toss and stir until the beef changes color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil and return the pan to high heat. Add the asparagus and 3 tablespoons water and stir-fry until the asparagus is almost cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, sherry, sugar, and beef. Toss and stir until the beef is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve right away.

Makes 4 servings







❧ Note: Hot Wok, Cold Oil
For the best results when stir-frying, Chinese chefs follow the adage "hot wok, cold oil." In other words, get your wok as hot as possible before adding the cold oil; get the oil searing hot before adding the other ingredients.