Simple Chinese language Beef Stir Fry – new & improved!

This Beef Stir Fry is made with a easy however tremendous flavourful, traditional Chinese language stir fry sauce that tastes similar to you get at correct Chinese language eating places. I exploit a number of vibrant greens and today, I all the time velvet the meat. No extra dry chewy beef in my stir fries!

Chinese language Beef Stir Fry

I first shared this Beef Stir Fry recipe 10 years in the past (!!), calling it my “go-to.” And it nonetheless is (I make stir fries regularly!) however through the years the recipe has advanced a bit, so I believed I’d share my present recipe. The flavour’s the identical, however I’ve refined the method a little bit. Extra importantly, today, I all the time velvet my beef so it stays superbly tender.

Have you ever ever seen how the meat in Chinese language restaurant stir fries is so extremely comfortable, and the way your stir fries at residence are simply by no means the identical? The key is tenderising the meat – a way referred to as velveting.

There’s a number of other ways to do it however for small-batch residence cooking, I discover essentially the most sensible is the tactic that includes coating the meat in a little bit baking soda which breaks down the fibres so it stays succulent and velvety even after high-heat cooking for a protracted time period. A tiny further step that makes an enormous distinction – strive it as soon as and also you’ll by no means look again!

> For extra on Velveting, see right here (yup, I’m such a dork wrote a complete publish about it!)

Elements in Chinese language Beef Stir Fry

Right here’s what I put in my beef stir fry. There’s a number of choices for beef cuts, and be at liberty to substitute the greens with no matter you need, have or like. That’s the fantastic thing about stir fries – the flexibleness!

1. velveted beef

I like to make use of steak cuts for stir fries for a similar cause individuals like consuming them as steaks – good beefy flavour and very best for cooking quick. However even with steak cuts, I nonetheless tenderise. Paper skinny slices of beef prepare dinner in 90 seconds whereas stir fries take nearer to six minutes – quick, however the beef remains to be overcooked which suggests it’s chewy and hard.

• Baking soda – A small quantity (simply 1/2 teaspoon) combined with the meat tenderises it so it stays comfortable. With out, the meat will overcook and turn out to be powerful. A tried and confirmed tenderising methodology used liberally in my Asian recipes!

• Favorite beef reduce for stir frying – My favorite reduce for stir fries right here in Australia is rump although I’d use flank if it was extra available and thicker reduce like it’s within the US. Each these have nice beefy flavour and good consuming texture however is certainly not powerful, and is across the center of the vary relating to price.

  These days, I often purchase rump steak in roast kind (aka rump cap, sirloin cap, picanha or coulotte) – higher worth than steak and you may slice it into bigger, restaurant-style items as a substitute of skinny strips. I reduce the roast into smaller parts – pictured above – and freeze.

  Different nice steak cuts for stir fries – Mainly something you’d throw on the grill! Scotch fillet (boneless rib eye) is superb however pricier (I’d fairly take pleasure in it as steak), porterhouse/sirloin (US: New York strip) or every other reduce of steak that you simply’d prepare dinner as steak.

  Sluggish cooking cuts – like chuck, oyster blade, gravy beef – may also be used, simply use a smidge extra baking soda and tenderise for a contact longer (1/2 teaspoon heaped for 35 minutes). The principle distinction with stewing cuts is that the meat flavour shouldn’t be as sturdy as steak cuts, although keep in mind there’s a number of beautiful tasty sauce smothering this stir fry!

2. stir fry sauce

Right here’s what goes in my Stir Fry Sauce. Useful shortcut – Use 5 tablespoons of Charlie, my All-Objective Stir Fry Sauce as a substitute!

• Gentle soy sauce – You possibly can substitute with an all goal soy sauce. However not darkish soy sauce – flavour is simply too sturdy and the color is simply too intense! Extra on which soy sauce to make use of when right here.

• Oyster sauce – A staple Asian sauce that provides complexity, flavour and umami suddenly. Created from oyster extract that’s candy, salty, thick and pungent, however doesn’t style oyster-y or fishy in any respect as soon as cooked. Will be substituted with shellfish free different – vegetarian “oyster” sauce, even discovered at common grocery shops today.

• Chinese language cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) – important ingredient for making really “restaurant normal” Chinese language dishes, provides depth of flavour into sauces. Substitute with mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic substitute – substitute half the water with low sodium rooster inventory/broth.

• Sesame oil – toasted sesame oil is brown and has extra flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil offered in Australia is toasted, untoasted is tougher to seek out.

• Sugar – to get the correct stability of flavour within the sauce.

• Cornflour / cornstarch – This makes the meat prepare dinner so it has a skinny film-like coating on it which makes it form of slippery, similar to you get at Chinese language eating places.

• White pepper which is the normal pepper selection in Asian cooking. Substitute with black pepper.

3. greens

Listed below are the greens I put into my stir fry, for color, flavour, and comfort (straightforward to chop, no must steam individually – like with broccoli). 🙂

• Garlic and onion – Important fragrant flavour base that flavours the oil firstly.

• Bok choy – Leafy Asian inexperienced, considered one of my favourites, and usually to not expensive yr spherical. Minimize the stem from the leafy half as they go into the stir fry at totally different instances because the stem takes longer to prepare dinner.

• Inexperienced onion – I like the additional hit of freshness from tossing a handful of inexperienced onion in on the finish, and it’s no effort to cut into batons. Observe: the firmer white finish goes into the stir fry sooner than the softer inexperienced half.

• Carrot and purple capsicum (bell pepper) – Each these are a agency stir fry favorite for the pop of color!

Different greens – Use what you need! You’ll must pre-cook greens like broccoli and cauliflower else they’ll take too lengthy to prepare dinner within the stir fry. TIP: There’s a helpful matrix on web page 172 of my cookbook Tonight for find out how to reduce greens and when so as to add greens into the pan for stir fries. It’s actually helpful!

How one can make this Chinese language Beef Stir Fry

The meat takes 20 minutes to velvet (tenderise). Use this time to cut the greens, make the sauce and get the rice cooking!

1. VELVETING THE BEEF

1. Slice the meat thinly, round 3 – 4mm / 1/6″ thick, round 4 – 5 cm / 2″ lengthy.

2. Skinny beef! 🙂

3. 20 minute marinade – Toss the meat slices with the baking soda. I discover it best to make use of my fingertips. Then set it apart for 20 minutes, not. Should you go away the meat for too lengthy, it could actually get over-tenderised and be freakishly tender, which isn’t very nice. I discover this can be a frequent drawback at low-cost ‘n cheerful native Chinese language joints, a little bit too keen about tenderising!

4. Rinse the baking soda off utilizing a colander below chilly faucet water. Shake off extra water then blot extra off utilizing paper towels. It doesn’t have to be 100% dry, simply not soaking moist. Now it’s prepared to make use of!

2. COOKING THE STIR FRY

Golden rule with stir fries – add the greens into the wok or pan based mostly on the size of time it takes to prepare dinner. More durable greens in first, leafy ones in final. We would like our stir fry with crisp-tender fairly than limp-watery greens!

1. Sauce half 1 – Combine all of the Sauce elements besides the cornflour.

2. Season beef – Measure out 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce and blend into the tenderised beef to coat it in flavour.

3. Sauce thickener – Combine the cornflour into the remaining sauce till it’s lump-free. Then combine the water in.

4. Aromatics first – Warmth the oil over excessive warmth in a wok or giant non-stick pan. Add the onion and garlic, prepare dinner for 10 seconds till the garlic is gentle golden – don’t let it burn, garlic will get bitter!

5. Beef – Add the meat and stir consistently for 1 1/2 minutes or till it modifications from purple to brown.

6. Firmer greens first – Add the carrots, capsicum, bok choy stems and white a part of inexperienced onions. Stir for 1 1/2 minutes – the greens ought to be nonetheless crisp however coated within the tasty flavours.

7. Sauce it! Give the sauce a fast stir to agitate the cornflour settled on the bottom, then pour it in and provides it a very good stir.

8. Leafy greens final – As soon as the sauce begins effervescent, add the bok choy leaves and inexperienced a part of the inexperienced onions. Toss for 1 minute till the sauce thickens and turns into shiny, coating all of the greens and the bok choy leaves are simply beginning to wilt. Then it’s prepared – serve over rice!

Did I point out that there’s a very good quantity of sauce for glorious rice soakage???

So there you go. My go-to on a regular basis Beef Stir Fry.

I’ve mentioned that earlier than, I do know – however this time I actually imply it! It’s the model that ticks each field for me proper now: tender beef utilizing a reduce that’s not too costly, shiny sauce, a number of greens (I really feel virtuous!) and a tasty sauce.

I don’t count on to vary it once more…….however don’t crucify me if I do!

Like to know what you assume when you do that. Hope you take pleasure in! – Nagi x

Watch find out how to make it

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Simple Chinese language Beef Stir Fry

Writer: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner: 8 minutes minutes

Whole: 23 minutes minutes

Dinner, Stir Fry

Chinese language

Servings3 – 4

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. That is my traditional Chinese language Beef Stir Fry. It is simple and quick, and actually does style similar to your favorite Chinese language restaurant thanks for the stir fry sauce (the key is Chinese language cooking wine).Nice recipe to make use of up no matter leftover greens you may have within the fridge! And you will love the velveting beef approach – easy and extremely efficient Chinese language restaurant methodology for succulent, comfortable beef in stir fries.Tip: As an alternative of constructing this Sauce, you should use Charlie, my All Objective Stir Fry Sauce (see Observe 3)

Elements

Velveting the meat (tenderising)

Stir Fry

• ▢ 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
• ▢ 1 garlic clove , finely minced with a knife
• ▢ 1/2 small onion , sliced (yellow, brown or white)
• ▢ 1/2 purple capsicum / bell pepper , sliced into 7mm / 1/3″ thick slices
• ▢ 1 small carrot , peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly on the diagonal
• ▢ 2 bok choy , reduce leaves from stems, reduce thick stems lengthways to make all of them roughly the identical width
• ▢ 2 inexperienced onion , reduce into 1.5″/3cm items, agency white finish separated from comfortable inexperienced elements

Prepare dinner ModeForestall display screen from sleeping

Directions

Abbreviated recipe

• Tenderise beef 20 minutes, rinse, toss with 1.5 tbsp sauce. Combine in cornflour then water into Sauce. Stir fry on this order: onion + garlic > beef > carrot + capsicum + bok choy stems + inexperienced onion stems > sauce > wilt bok choy leaves + inexperienced onion. Serve!

Velvet beef (tenderise)

• Velvet beef – Place the meat in a bowl. Sprinkle the baking soda over then use your fingers to toss the meat to coat as evenly as potential. Put aside for 20 minutes (not).

• Rinse the meat below faucet water in a colander to take away baking soda. Shake and pat off extra water (does not must dry totally, simply don’t desire it soaking). Put in a bowl.

Prepare dinner stir fry

• Sauce – Combine elements collectively. Measure out 1 1/2 tablespoons and use it to coat the meat. To the remaining sauce, combine within the cornflour till lump-free, then add the water.

• Prepare dinner aromatics – Warmth the oil in a big non-stick pan or wok over excessive warmth. Add the onion and garlic, prepare dinner for 10 seconds.

• Add the meat and prepare dinner till it modifications color from purple to gentle brown however not cooked via.

• Greens #1 – Add the capsicum, carrots, bok choy stems and white a part of the inexperienced onions. Stir fry for 1 minute

• Add Sauce, then stir till it begins to bubble (it should thicken shortly)

• Leafy greens – Add the bok choy leaves and inexperienced a part of the inexperienced onions. Toss for one more 30 seconds to 1 minute till they’re simply wilted, the sauce thickens and turns into shiny, coating every little thing properly.

• Serve instantly with rice – or for a low carb, low cal possibility, strive Cauliflower Rice! Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Beef – Scotch fillet (boneless rib eye) or porterhouse/sirloin (US: New York strip) may also be used, or every other reduce of steak that you simply’d prepare dinner as steak.
I prefer to get rump roast (additionally referred to as rump cap, sirloin cap, picanha or coulotte) – higher worth than steak and you may slice it into bigger, restaurant-style items as a substitute of skinny strips. I reduce the roast into smaller parts and freeze.
Sluggish cooking cuts – like chuck, oyster blade, gravy beef – use a barely heaped 1/2 teaspoon and go away for 35 minutes, then rinse and proceed with recipe. Blade and bolar blade want 40 minutes, solely reduce I don’t use is brisket (simply doesn’t appear to tenderise).
2. Baking soda – Use for tenderising the meat the Chinese language restaurant approach (velveting). See right here for extra details about it.
3. Sauce shortcut – As an alternative of constructing this Sauce for this recipe, you should use 5 1/2 tablespoons of my Selfmade All Objective Stir Fry Sauce.(i.e. Skip all of the Sauce elements AND cornflour. Use 1 1/2 tbsp for the meat, 4 tbsp for the stir fry). Add the same amount of water specified on this recipe and comply with all different instructions on this recipe.
4. Soy sauce – Please use gentle or common all goal soy sauce for this. Don’t use darkish soy sauce (approach too sturdy).
5. Chinese language cooking wine is an important ingredient for actual stir fry sauces. The alcohol cooks out. Greatest substitutes: mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Should you can not get it or can’t eat alcohol, substitute this and half the water with low sodium rooster tock.
LEFTOVERS will maintain for 3 to 4 days, nonetheless, the sauce does get thinner when reheated (that is what occurs with cornflour thickened sauces). If deliberately making forward (fridge or freezing), substitute cornflour with arrowroot which gained’t go skinny when reheated. See FAQ for extra data.
Diet per serving assuming 4 servings, stir fry solely.

Diet Info:

Energy: 159cal (8%)Carbohydrates: 7g (2%)Protein: 13g (26%)Fats: 8g (12%)Saturated Fats: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 4gLdl cholesterol: 30mg (10%)Sodium: 683mg (30%)Potassium: 380mg (11%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 4191IU (84%)Vitamin C: 34mg (41%)Calcium: 56mg (6%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Key phrases: beef stir fry, chinese language beef stir fry

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Initially revealed December 2015. Republished with contemporary new photographs, new video added and most significantly, Lifetime of Dozer part added!

Lifetime of Dozer

I do know this seems like my buddy captured a heartwarming second as Dozer was gazing up at me adoringly….however the reality is a flock of birds was flying overhead.😆