We have been trying to eat more healthy for the past year, so we have been cutting down on red meat. However, once in a while, I get this irresistible craving for a good steak or anything beef. I would feel hungry all the time and that hunger would not be satisfied unless I ate meat. Sound familiar? This is a very common Chinese dish and it doesn’t require a lot of beef but it hits the spot for me. It is also quick and easy to cook and goes so well with rice.
1 lb beef (flank steak or sirloin steak)
2 slices ginger
Marinade for beef:
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp water
Seasoning sauce:
2 Tbsp oyster sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee brand Premium Oyster Sauce)
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 lb green vegetable eg lettuce or baby bok choy
Method:
1. Slice the beef thinly into 1 inch squares. (I use pre-sliced sukiyaki beef from the Japanese supermarket because I am lazy!)
2. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Marinate the beef for at least 1 hour. Add in 1 tsp cooking oil and mix well.
3. Wash and boil the green vegetables in boiling water for 2 mins. Drain and arrange the vegetables on a serving dish.
4. Combine all the ingredients for the seasoning sauce in a small bowl and put aside.
5. Heat up 1-2 Tbsp cooking oil and ginger in a frying pan and quickly saute the beef on high heat until it turns light brown, about 10 to 20 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the seasoning sauce immediately. It is ok to turn off the heat even when the beef slices are still slightly pink in the center part (95% cooked) because the residual heat from the frying pan will continue to cook it.
6. Pour the beef over the green vegetables and serve with rice.
Your beef dish with the baby bok choy looks good…one of my favorites.
Thank you Karen! Wishing you a Happy New Year!
If we use chicken, can we use the same ingredient to marinade it?
I have not used this recipe with chicken… do try it and let me know. But definitely omit the baking soda (which is used to tenderize beef) – you don’t need it for chicken! I’d love to hear from you about your experiment with chicken.