Feel like take-out without going out? Something ethnic to put a spin in your week? A fresh spicy sauce is key to this. Building up your pantry of ‘Asian-type’ condiments can be easily done from any well-stocked supermarket. And once you have them in your pantry, they keep very well and can be mixed, matched and used in a variety of different ways to add zip to any dish. Try sesame oil and soy sauce together with a little maple syrup to marinate chicken. Or a oyster sauce rubbed on steak before grilling. We’ve tossed the steak slices in cornstarch prior to cooking, as opposed to adding the cornstarch in later to make a thick sauce. This will give the beef a nice crispiness against the smooth sauce. The beef was enjoyed alongside a big pan of stir-fried veggies: mushrooms, peppers, onions and broccoli. Another option is to roast your broccoli, to get similar results from a quick stir-fry: toss broccoli in a little oil and salt; spread on a baking sheet and roast in a hot (425°F) oven for 5-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown. The whole dish would be great with steamed rice, of course, or even egg noodles.
Stir-Fried Beef with Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained; divided
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1-2 red chili, or red chili paste, seeded and chopped
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or dry sherry
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 lb top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
To make sauce: place 4 tbsp of the beans in the bottom of a small food processor, or use a hand blender; Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend until the sauce is smooth;
Slice steak into thin strips: a trick to doing this is to freeze the beef for about 30 minutes;
Just before frying, toss the beef in the cornstarch. If you do this too far in advance, the meat will become sticky and gummy;
Heat a very large frying pan or wok over high heat; add oil and then quickly add all of the beef at once; Using tongs or a wooden spoon, quickly cook beef until desired doneness (medium is nice). Then add all of the sauce and cook for one final minute.
