I’d been reading through THE BOOK and it kept recommending how to find a good wok, and the rhythm of stir fry, and this “asian fish sauce” of which I had never heard. Quite a while before I made this, I had read perhaps four recipes in a row recommending this fish sauce. So I went to work and asked some of my lovely Asian co-workers if they had heard of it and where to find it. Naturally they all had and one of them was kind enough to bring some in for me (as well as some oyster sauce and some Thai rice stir fry noodles. Thanks Payia!). Despite receiving all of this…It still took me a good month and a half or more to make use of it. I felt I couldn’t make a proper stir fry without a wok. So what did I purchase with some birthday money? Yes, a wok. It was delightful. Finally I had all the most necessary ingredients. I figured I could just throw together some meat and veggies and fry them up…but as I had never attempted it before, I thought a recipe would be nice the first time and variations could be made thereafter, once I was comfortable with it. So, I resorted to my favorite way to search, GOOGLE! It did not disappoint. I discovered this recipe and it was very delicious.
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
3/4 pound beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced into strips
3 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 large head broccoli (or 2 small), chopped into florets
optional: 1 red bell pepper, chopped
optional: 1 red chili, thinly sliced (I used a red bell and couldn’t find a red chili so I ended up with a Serrano)
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 pkg Thai stir-fry noodles
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp lime juice (I simply used the juice from one lime. I think I was a bit shy, but it still tasted just fine.)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves and stems, finely chopped (I didn’t have fresh, so I used 1 tbsp dried, ground coriander.)
Other
2 tsp sesame oil (I didn’t have any, so I did not use this.)
extra handful of fresh coriander (for garnish) (Also, did not have this.)
2 tbsp oil for stir-frying (I approximate this.)
1/4 cup water
Method
~Soak your Thai stir-fry noodles as directed on package, and then drain and set aside.
~Pour the soy sauce and sugar mixture over the strips of beef. Season with ground black pepper and stir well. Set beef aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
~Place the fish sauce in a cup or small bowl. Add the cornstarch and stir until it dissolves. Now add all the other stir-fry sauce ingredients and stir to combine.
~Place a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil plus the onion, ginger, and fresh chili. Stir-fry briefly to release the fragrance (about 1 minute).
~Add the beef together with it’s soy sauce marinade. Stir-fry 5 minutes or until beef is cooked. If your wok becomes dry, add a tbsp of water.
~Add the broccoli plus the red bell pepper. Also add the stir-fry sauce plus 1/4 cup water.
~Stir fry until broccoli turns bright green and has softened slightly, but is still fairly firm - about 2 minutes.
~Add the noodles and cook until they are warm. The rise in temperature and collection of flavor is all they need as they are otherwise ready to eat.
~Remove from heat and do a taste test. If too salty for your taste, add a little more lime juice. If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce. If not spicy enough (although it most definitely was for us!), add a little more cayenne pepper. Drizzle sesame oil over and serve immediately with generous sprinklings of fresh coriander.
