Festive Sherry Pepper Steak

By ccavaletti

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons high-temp cooking oil, such as vegetable or peanut
• 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin fillet (the tips or head of the fillet is perfect for this)
• Salt and coarse black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 large mild green and red frying peppers, thinly sliced, or 2 red and green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 small red chile pepper, such as holland or fresno, thinly sliced
• 2 medium red or yellow onions thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 to 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tamari sauce
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock

Preparation

Step 1

Heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the rice and toast for a minute or two, then add 2 1/4 cups water and the scallions and stir.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 18 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.

Slice the meat into thin strips about 2 to 3 inches long; pat the meat dry.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, over high heat in a large, sturdy skillet until smoking. Add the meat and season with salt and pepper; caramelize the meat and brown well, then sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss for a minute more. Transfer the meat to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and stir-fry the frying peppers (or bell peppers), chile pepper and onions for a few minutes to soften at the edges. Add the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt and pepper.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry, then add the worcestershire, tamari and beef stock. Slide the meat back in and stir; simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce a bit.

Serve the meat on a bed of the scallion rice.