Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Quick & Easy Chinese (19 page)
This Szechuan-style dish is quite delicious, quick to prepare, and fun to eat. You can use flatter lettuce leaves, such as romaine or oak leaf lettuce, and fold them into small packets for eating. Or enjoy the filling in tortillas or pita bread, along with a handful of shredded lettuce and a dollop or two of spicy salsa. We love it with rice and greens for a weeknight supper.
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry, white wine, or Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ pound ground beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 tablespooon Asian sesame oil
About 20 cup-shaped lettuce leaves, such as Bibb, Boston, or iceberg
SERVES
4
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, sugar, and salt, and stir well to dissolve the cornstarch and combine everything into a smooth sauce.
Place the ground beef in a medium bowl, and use a spoon to separate it into five or six big clumps. Add about half the soy sauce mixture, and gently mix the seasonings into the ground beef, using your hands or a large spoon. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
To cook, heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the vegetable oil; swirl to coat the pan, and then toss in the ginger and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, tossing once, until fragrant but not browned.
Crumble in the seasoned ground beef, and use your spatula or a big, slotted spoon to break it up and spread the meat out over the hot pan to help it cook evenly. Let it cook until it changes color on one side, 1 to 2 minutes.
Toss the meat just enough to turn the uncooked side onto the hot pan, and let it cook another minute undisturbed. Then toss well, using your spatula to break up any large chunks. When the meat is cooked, add the red pepper flakes and the green onion, and toss well. Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat, tossing once more to mix everything well.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Arrange lettuce cups on a serving platter, and fill each one with a spoonful or two of the cooked beef. Or provide lettuce cups and the serving plate of beef and invite guests to make up lettuce packets themselves.
Savor this hearty dish with rice and either steamed broccoli or a salad of spinach leaves or crisp romaine in a fruity vinaigrette. You could add sliced shiitakes or button mushrooms along with the carrots, or toss in a cup of tiny peas to make it a one-dish supper, serving it in bowls over rice.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¾ pound thinly sliced beef
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
¾ cup shredded carrots
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
SERVES
4
In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch, and stir to mix them well. Add the beef, toss to season it evenly, and set aside for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, chicken stock, sugar, and salt, and stir well.
Heat the oil in a wok or a large, deep skillet. Add the ginger and toss well. Scatter in the beef and spread it out into a single layer over the surface of the pan. Let the beef cook undisturbed for 15 seconds, and then toss.
Add the carrots and cook, tossing now and then, until they are shiny and softened, about 30 seconds. Add the oyster sauce mixture, pouring it in around the sides of the pan, and toss well.
Cook, tossing often, until the beef is cooked and the sauce thickens and evenly coats the beef, about 1 minute more. Add the green onion and toss well. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or warm.