Beef and Scallions
Level: Easy Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: 30 min, up to 4 hours if also tenderizing Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 Servings
INGREDIENTS
To Tenderize:
2 Tsp Baking Soda
3 Tbsp Water
1 pound flank steak (450g, sliced thinly against the grain)
For the Marinade:
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Rest of the Dish:
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon hot water
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon ginger (finely julienned)
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil (60 ml)
4-6 scallions (cut into 2-inch lengths, about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (divided)
DIRECTIONS
1.In a bowl, add baking soda and water to the sliced beef and massage with hands until all of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 1-2 hours. Rinse the beef thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Drain.
2. Mix the beef with 2 teaspoons oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, hot water, and white pepper into a small bowl; mix well and set aside.
Spread the beef out on a plate, and sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Toss to coat the beef lightly, shaking off any excess.
5. Heat your wok until just smoking, and spread a quarter cup of oil around the wok. Add the beef and let the beef sear in the oil on one side for 30 seconds. Flip and let sear for another 30 seconds, and transfer to a plate. Turn down the heat to medium low and remove/discard the excess oil (if there is too much) leaving about 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok.
6. Add the ginger and let it cook for 15 seconds until it is just caramelized. Turn up the heat to the highest setting, and add the white portions of the scallions. Quickly add 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, while continuing to stir-fry to deglaze the wok.
7. Next, add the beef and the rest of the scallions. Stir fry everything together for about 30 seconds, and add the sauce you prepared earlier. Continue to stir-fry. Hopefully your wok is hot enough, and you can get a nice scorch on your scallions (not all stoves get the same level of BTUs, the scorch may be more difficult with lower BTUs). Continue to stir-fry until the liquid has evaporated, and all of the sauce is clinging to the beef and scallions. Spread 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok. It should be sizzling and evaporate immediately; toss the dish again until the wine is cooked in to generate more wok hei*. Turn off the heat, plate and serve!
CHEFS NOTES:
Marinating Timing - you can marinate longer than 30 minutes, I marinated this for 1 hour
“Stir frying, the cornerstone of Cantonese cooking, is all about wok hei, that complex charred aroma that fleetingly cloaks the piping-hot stir-fries served in Cantonese restaurants. The hallmark of an outstanding chef, wok hei - literally translated as ‘breath of a wok’ - results from a complex interplay of factors that is part science, part art, part magic.” - Michelin Guide
