Chinese 5 Spice Beef stir fry with Soy and Ginger...dump and crop!!

Chinese 5 Spice Beef stir fry with Soy and Ginger…let’s face it, there is only so much steak and potatoes I can have before the craving for a curry starts…something that I could top my rice with, dump into a bowl and dig in without having to worry about sides and salads and plating and knives and forks…

Chinese 5 Spice Beef stir fry with Soy and Ginger

Ingredients:

• Beef Steak, cut into strips against the grain, 500 gms

For the marinade:

• Dark Soy Sauce, 1 tsp
• Shaoxing Rice Wine/Chinese Rice Wine, 1 tsp
• Honey, 1 tsp
• Chinese 5 Spice Powder, ¾ tsp
• Red Chili flakes, 1 tsp
• Corn starch/Corn flour, 1 tsp
• Baking Soda, a pinch
• Sesame Oil, 1 tsp

For the sauce:

• Dark Soy Sauce, 4 tbsp
• Shaoxing Rice Wine/Chinese Rice Wine, 2 tbsp
• Honey, 1 tsp
• Corn starch/Corn flour, 1 tsp
• Chicken Stock or water, ¼ cup

For the Stir-fry:

• Fresh Ginger, cut into matchsticks, about an inch long piece
• Fresh Ginger, grated, 1 tsp
• Garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1-2 cloves
• Fresh Green chilies, finely chopped, 1-2
• Spring Onions/Scallions, cut into ½” pieces, white and green parts separate
• Oil, 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves, a handful

Instructions:

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large flat dish. Add the beef to the marinade and mix well to coat. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.Whisk well and keep aside. 

Heat 1 tbsb oil in a wok or a large pan. Once the oil is smoking hot, fry the marinated beef in batches, spreading it out in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for about a minute till lightly browned on one side. Once done, toss and cook the other side as well till lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside. Heat another tablespoon of oil and cook the remaining beef (normally two batches and 2 tbsp oil should suffice – remember to use the largest pan you have)

Once all the beef is cooked, add the julienned ginger to the pan and cook for about a minute or so till it slightly crisps up. Transfer to the cooked beef bowl.

Wipe out the pan; add the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot add the white portion of the scallions, garlic, chilies, ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant.

Add the beef and fried ginger juliennes back to the pan.

Stir the sauce combined earlier and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring and tossing constantly for a couple of minutes till the sauce thickens up to a coating consistency.

Add in the green portion of scallions. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust.

Switch off the heat Serve immediately with steamed rice topped with coriander leaves.