A recent discovery is that our local “Big” supermarket sells packs of thin beef steaks. Ok, it may not be a patch on what we can get in England, but for dishes that require quick cooking, it’s tender and surprisingly tasty.
You may recall I recently made the “acquaintance” of Mr Gok Wan and his cooking and his book travelled back with me to Spain. Sudden temperature highs of around 30 degrees mean it’s time for food that is quickly prepared and cooked.
I served this beautifully fragrant beef dish with pak choi (or bok choy), but more of that another day. If you invest a few minutes (or ten) in getting everything ready, the cooking is quick and ready to serve in just a few minutes. I had to make some adaptations, as ever, and Big Man asked if this was “Cocina Ibero-Chino” (Spanish-Chinese Cooking). I am sure that if had used sesame oil and carrot (which were the things I had to substitute) it would have been even more delicious, but as we didn’t have a scrap left over, I think it was a success!
To serve 2
- About 4 tablespoons of cornflour
- Salt and pepper (the recipe calls for white, I used black
- About 300g steak (the recipe calls for sirloin, I think mine is called “flash fry)
- Oil for frying (original recipe says groundnut, I used olive oil)
- 4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks (I used a small courgette)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (I used olive oil)
- 1-2 teaspoons rice or cider vinegar
Coat the meat strips in the cornflour and seasoning and fry in a hot wok or frying pan until browned. I did this in batches. Remove and place on kitchen paper.
Wipe the pan and add a little more oil then add the ginger, garlic, spring onions and carrot. Fry on high for a minute or two until the edges of the onions start to brown a little. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, a pinch of pepper and about 3 tablespoons of water and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust the flavours to your liking (I added a little more vinegar as I found it quite sweet).
Add the beef into the pan and gently mix into the sauce. Remove from the heat and (optional) garnish with chili flakes.
A beautiful dish, aromatic and quick to prepare.
For another beautiful Chinese Beef dish, check out Mandy’s Shanghai Steak over at The Complete Cookbook.
Chica Andaluza 