Beef Stir fry

Beef Stir fry! This dish is considered a staple in Chinese cuisine, and for good reason. In China, stir fry is one of the most delicious meals to eat alongside a bowl of freshly made rice. In fact, this method of cooking has a long history in China that goes back to over 2000 years ago to the Han dynasty.

The Cantonese and Sichuan cooking styles amplified the need for quick meals with bold flavours. Interestingly, both Cantonese and Sichuan cooking styles are very different to one another. With Cantonese beef stir-fry, there is an emphasis on natural flavours, it uses ingredients such as soy sauce, oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine.

The cooking style also involves coating the beef in corn-starch or baking powder and marinating it until the meat becomes tender. This process is called velveting the beef. In this recipe, we will be following the Cantonese method to soften and tenderize the beef. Sichuan beef stir-fry on the other hand focuses on more spicier flavours such as Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers and chili bean paste. This produces an intense flavour that is packed with heat and depth.

The cooking style is different to the Cantonese cooking style. In the Sichuan method, the beef is cooked over high heat until it develops a crispy texture. Some locals also fry the beef in chili oil creating strips of beef that are crispy and packed with heat.

Ingredients

Hoisin sauce, Oyster Sauce, Brown Sugar, Baking Powder, Knuckle steak, Rice vinegar, Black Pepper, Large Onions, Red Bell Pepper, Sesame seed oil.

Hoisin sauce and Oyster sauce are standard ingredients in most recipes from Asia. Hoisin sauce has an unusual taste that is slightly sweet and salty. Some individuals consider the flavour of hoisin sauce to be a mix between teriyaki sauce and barbecue sauce.

On the other hand, oyster sauce has a caramelized flavour profile with subtle hints of soy sauce and seafood. The combination of both sauces creates a rich umami flavour. Brown sugar adds a slight sweetness. Baking powder is used to marinate the beef, this process is called ”velveting the beef”. Rice vinegar is a non-alcoholic alternative used as a substitute for Shaoxing wine which can be difficult to find in some parts of the world. Other alcoholic options include mirin, dry white wine or sake.

So what is the best type of beef to use for Stir-fry beef? There are a few good options. Some include Flank steak, sirloin as good options. We’ve used knuckle steak in this recipe. Velveting the beef will soften up the beef easily. We’ve kept this recipe quite simple, however, if you’re in the mood for vegetables. You can use broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and bell peppers to add to the flavour of the stir-fry.

Instructions

Prepare the marinade sauce: Prepare a small bowl and add the following ingredients like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, salt, baking soda, rice flour or corn-starch, rice vinegar, sesame seed oil and water. Use a fork to whisk the ingredients.

Prepare the ingredients: Thinly slice the beef knuckle steak, about ⅓ inch thickness. Pour the marinade all over the beef steak and marinate for thirty minutes. Prepare the vegetables by slicing the onion, cut the green onions into one-inch length, finely mince the garlic cloves and remove the seeds from the dried red chilies.

Sauté the aromatics: After the marinating process is done, begin with cooking the aromatics. Preheat a wok to medium high heat, add olive oil, sliced onion and chopped garlic, and sauté the aromatics for three minutes while stirring occasionally.

Cook the beef steak: Thereafter, add the beef steak with the marinade liquid. Stir thoroughly to mix all the ingredients together. The steak will quickly turn to light brown as they are getting cooked. Also, add the dried red chilies and the chopped spring onions at this point.

Continue to cook the steak for twenty five minutes while stirring occasionally. Serve the beef stir fry with fluffy rice while it is hot.

What to Serve Beef Stir fry with?

Beef stir fry is delicious on fluffy steamed white rice, either jasmine rice or pilaf rice. The grains of rice will soak up the marinated beef sauce and make every bite amazingly delicious. Brown rice is also a great choice if you are looking for a high fiber diet.

Any form of noodles also pairs well with the beef stir fry, like chow mein, lo mein, rice noodles, or egg noodles. However, to fully enjoy the beef stir fry with the noodles, it would be best that the noodles are cooked with the beef marinade sauce during the cooking stages.

How to Store and reheat Beef stir fry?

Allow the beef stir fry to completely cool down before storing in the fridge. Beef stir fry can be stored for up to four days in the fridge or up to three months in the deep freeze. Store in an airtight container, and portion it accordingly, especially if you are planning to freeze the stir fry for a long period of time.

Reheat the beef stir fry by using the stove-top or microwave. The frozen beef stir fry can be reheated on the stove top as it will release water when it thaws and reheating on a pan means that the water will evaporate while reheating.