Stir Frying and a Few Confessions
First Confession: I don't have a fancy carbon-steel wok. I use a large non-stick skillet, and it works just fine.
Second Confession: I don't have a gas cooktop. I use an electric cooktop, and it provides plenty of heat.
Third Confession: I don't always follow the traditional stir fry methods. I do it my way. Some of the rules that I do follow are: 1) use fresh vegetables, frozen just don't work, 2) don't crowd the pan, you can't get a good sear if you overload, and 3) use peanut oil.
What You'll Need:
Beef, thinly sliced across the grain (I used sirloin.)
SherrySoy Sauce
Cornstarch
Peanut Oil
Fresh broccoli
Onion
Fresh ginger, grated
Garlic, minced
Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock
Cornstarch
Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce
Method:
Sprinkle the beef with sherry and soy sauce. Swish it around to coat all the beef. Add cornstarch, mixing with your fingers, until you get a gummy consistency. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Take the beef out of the refrigerator, and get everything ready. Trim the broccoli into large florets. Clean and slice the onion. Grate your ginger, and get your garlic minced.
Make a slurry of chicken stock (about 1/2 cup), cornstarch (about 1T), and oyster sauce (to taste, I use about 2T).
Here's the part where I "don't always follow the traditional stir fry methods." Add a little water to your skillet and steam the broccoli (covered) until it's just crisp-tender. Remove the broccoli to a bowl and discard the water.
Heat your skillet and add peanut oil to just to coat the bottom. Lightly stir fry the onion and remove it to the bowl with the broccoli.
Next, add a little more peanut oil (if needed) and stir fry the beef in batches being careful not to overcrowd or overcook. Remove the beef to a plate.
Add the garlic and ginger (about 1t each) to the skillet. After a couple of seconds, add the slurry, and mix well so that you scrape up the bits left from stir frying the beef. Simmer the mixture until it thickens slightly.
Plate it: broccoli on bottom, beef and onions next, spoon on some sauce. You can toss the broccoli, beef, and onions back into the sauce to coat everything if you want. You can pile it on white rice or stir fried rice if you want. Or, you can just eat it as is :).
