Pepper Steak
I love being a mother. I love being a wife. I love that I can be both and still be an integral member of America’s workforce. But there are moments when I feel I have over-extended myself. Some days, after running around at work and bracing through bumper-to-bumper traffic, I simply want the luxury of going straight to bed and not having to answer to two hungry mouths on what’s for dinner. Aayee, how wise my mother for saying, “Love is the most exhausting emotion of all”.
On days as such, this sizzling stir-fry beef is one recipe that has brought me to bed earlier and faster as it goes from wok to plate in less than twenty minutes. This asian-inspired dish is sweet enough to please my daughter’s culinary preference and is easy enough to modify, by adding slices of chili or by increasing amount of red pepper flakes, to meet my husband’s more adventurous tastes.
Makes 4 Servings
2 flank steak (around 2 lbs), cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
6 tbsps soy sauce
2 tbsps cornstarch
2 tbsps brown sugar
3 tbsps sesame oil
2 tbsps mirin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Stir until smooth. Toss in beef slices to coat and set aside.
In a wok or wide skillet, heat half of the vegetable oil until smoking hot, over high heat. Stir-fry bell pepper strips until tender but crisp. Remove and set aside.
Stir-fry onions until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining oil to wok and and heat for 30 seconds. Saute garlic for around 30 seconds.
Drain beef slices from marinade, reserving liquid mixture. Stir-fry beef slices on wok until well browned. Add in onions, bell peppers, reserved marinade and any accumulated juices to wok.
Cook until heated through. Serve over hot rice.
Beef and Veal Recipes in the CookMobile Archive:
Bacon-Wrapped Hotdog, Fruited Coleslaw and Bacon-Potato Salad
