Basic Meat and Vegetable Stir Fry
I took a Chinese cooking class while living in Okinawa (yikes, way back in 1969!!). The first thing we learned was how to measure and boil rice, then we learned how to make a beef and green peppers stir fry. The recipe below details the basic technique for stir fry that you can adapt using different vegetable and meat, poultry, or tofu combinations. It’s important to use the meat quantities specified, because if you use more or less, it just doesn’t turn out right. If you use less, it gets overcooked, and if you use more, the meat steams rather than sautés. This recipe serves two nicely.
Thinly slice ½ pound of meat first and marinate it while you are chopping up the vegetables. Partially freeze the meat or start with a piece of frozen meat and let it thaw a bit. It’s much easier to slice/shred it very thin if it is partially frozen. If you’re using beef, any lean cut works – top or bottom round, eye of round, sirloin. For pork, use tenderloin.
Marinade – mix together in a medium bowl
1½ Tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium works fine)
2 teaspoons cornstarch (omit if you are using chicken or tofu)
1 Tablespoon wine
1 Tablespoon sesame seed oil
Dash of black pepper
2 teaspoons of grated or finely chopped fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Vegetables
2 cups of cut up vegetables – you can use green beans, broccoli, green peppers, snow peas, asparagus, celery, carrots, onions, whatever you like best. I don’t use mushrooms much, because they tend to make the mixture watery. The vegetables should be sliced thin (peppers, celery, carrots) or cut into bit size pieces (broccoli, asparagus, green beans). For onions, cut into quarters first and then cut again and separate. They really add a nice flavor with the celery or carrots. Snow peas can be left whole. Sliced canned water chestnuts add a nice texture.
Glaze – mix together in a small bowl or measuring cup before you start cooking – always add the liquid to the cornstarch.
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
⅓ cup water
Now you can start cooking. Heat 3 Tablespoons of peanut or canola oil in an electric frying pan, large skillet, or wok. Set on the highest temperature if you’re using an electric frying pan. Heat the skillet or wok until the oil starts to smoke. Saute the vegetables for 2 minutes, stirring constantly while they are cooking. Remove vegetables to a platter. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in the same pan and fry meat for 2-3 minutes (remove crushed garlic clove) . The meat will splatter when added to the hot oil, so be warned. A long-handled spatula is recommended!! Return the vegetables to the pan and stir until well mixed with the meat. Give the glaze ingredients a stir and pour the glaze over the meat and vegetable mixture and stir until thick.
Serve with steamed rice or pan fried Soba/Chinese noodles. (see recipe on noodle package to prepare).
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- Recipe byAunt Susan Madrid
- Viewed 261 times
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