Who needs a wok when you have a trusty cast iron skillet? |
I usually get the
cheapest cuts of meat for stir frying. Though most serious recipes specify
leaner cuts I like to use beef with some light to moderate marbling of fat just
because it seems to me to have more flavor and, when it’s sliced very thinly,
it’s not going to be tough to chew. For this recipe I used some chuck steak.
Chuck steak sliced across the grain as thin as you can get
it without injury
1 med./lg. onion (I like Vidalias) cut in half lengthwise
and sliced thinly
1 bell pepper sliced into whatever shapes you like
As much chopped garlic as you like (I like lots of garlic)
About 2 bunches of yu choy, stems and leaves, chopped
1 Korean long hot pepper or other hot pepper sliced on the
diagonal (optional)
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Nampla (Asian fish sauce, optional)
Freshly ground pepper (I use a combo of black peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns and
red pepper flakes) to taste
Heat a skillet to the smoking point with about 1 or 2 tbls. of
oil then add the beef, garlic and onion and cook, stirring a lot, until the
beef is browned. Add a splash of soy sauce and nam pla. Add the bell peppers, hot
peppers (if you like) and yuchoy and cook until yuchoy is slightly wilted but
still bright green. Add a little sesame oil and ground pepper and mix it up a
little. Done. Serve with hot rice
This recipe also works well with pork, chicken and reconstituted Xiang-gu (dried shiitake mushrooms).