Chinese restaurant stir-fries are beloved for their thin strips of meat in succulent sauce, but all too often the meat is chewy, the sauce is loaded with sodium, and the vegetables are few and far between. To boost the nutritional profile of beef stir-fry, we first used more vegetables than meat: vitamin K–rich bok choy, carrots, and green beans provided color, crispness, and a little sweetness. Lean grass-fed flank steak delivered plenty of protein, great beef flavor, and a moderate chew. To tenderize it, we soaked the meat briefly in a mild baking soda solution. Cornstarch worked double duty, preventing the meat from drying out and thickening the sauce. Serve with steamed brown rice.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound grass-fed flank steak, trimmed of all visible fat, cut with grain into 2-inch strips, each strip cut crosswise against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
- 1½ teaspoons expeller-pressed toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound bok choy, stalks and greens separated, stalks cut on bias into ¼-inch slices and greens cut into ½-inch strips
- 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
How to Make It
- Combine 1 tablespoon water and baking soda in large bowl. Add beef, tossing to coat, and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1½ teaspoons cornstarch together in small bowl. Add soy sauce mixture to beef, tossing to coat, and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes. Combine 2 teaspoons canola oil, garlic, and ginger in small bowl.
- Whisk remaining ¼ cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons sherry, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1½ teaspoons cornstarch, oyster sauce, vinegar, pepper, and sesame oil together in separate bowl.
- Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer; transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with remaining beef and 1 teaspoon canola oil.
- Heat remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add bok choy stalks and green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet. Add garlic mixture to center and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir mixture into vegetables. Stir bok choy greens, carrot, and browned beef into vegetable mixture in skillet.
- Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 210 kcal Calories from Fat: 99 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 11 g 31% |
Saturated Fat 2.5 g 13% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Cholesterol 50 mg 17% |
Sodium 410 mg 7% |
carbohydrates 8 g 6% |
Dietary Fiber 2 g 5% |
Sugars 3 g 3% |
Protein 19 g 38% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |
