What kind of beef works best for stir-frying? I use flank or sirloin steak in my beef stir-fry recipe because they are tasty, inexpensive, and easy to tenderize. Chuck steak can also be used. How you cut the flank steak is the key to the best beef stir-fry. The key is to slice the meat thinly across the grain.
- Trim off any silver skin or tough connective tissues surrounding a beef cut.
- You can see the muscle lines by observing the grain.
- You want to cut across the grain (along the long lines) for the tenderest meat. I cut it 1/4 inch thick.
How to make Beef Stir-Fry
- It’s worth the extra time! Prepare your vegetables ahead of time, and store them in a refrigerator container. Our grocery store offers stir fry vegetables that are already cut and prepared.
- In batches, cook the beef for 2 to 3 minutes in a wok or oiled pan. Remove and set aside.
- In a hot wok or pan, cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes. The vegetables should be crisp. Set aside.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in the same pan. Bring to a simmer, and then thicken the mixture with cornstarch. Add the beef back into the pan, and cook until the vegetables are heated.
Making Beef Tender
- Do you know that Chinese food always has the tenderest pieces of chicken and beef? The meat is made velvety by a process called velveting. The beef (or the chicken) is marinated in cornstarch, rice vinegar/soya sauce, and an egg white. Then, it is usually fried in oil or water and used for stir-fries.
- While preparing the other ingredients, I constantly mix my beef (or the chicken in a stir-fry) into cornstarch. It differs from the same technique in Chinese restaurants but changes the texture and tenderizes the meat. The cornstarch crust outside the heart also helps thicken the sauce.
Ingredients
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- ▢ Divide two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- ▢ One pound of flank steak thinly cut
- ▢ Cornstarch 2 tablespoons
- ▢ 4 cups mixed vegetables
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- ▢ Three cloves of minced garlic
- ▢ One teaspoon of minced ginger
- ▢ Orange juice, 1/3 cup
- ▢ 1/4 cup water
- ▢ Low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup
- ▢ 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
- ▢ Sesame Oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons
- ▢ One tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
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- Season steak with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cornstarch, and let sit while preparing the vegetables.
- In a wok or pan, place one tablespoon of oil. Cook the beef over medium-high heat in two batches until it is browned. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef from pan and place aside.
- Add the vegetables to the pan, and cook until crisp-tender (about 4-5 minutes). Remove the vegetables from the pan and place them aside with your beef.
- Stir well. Combine all ingredients, except for cornstarch, in a bowl.
- Add the sauce and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of water (or broth), whisking constantly, and slowly add the mixture to the sauce. Allow simmering for 2 minutes. Add the vegetables, beef, and any juices to the pan. Cook until heated through.
- Serve over noodles or rice.
