Hunan Beef with Peppers and Asparagus

  • 4
  • 10 mins
  • 30 mins

Ingredients

  • For the marinade:
  • 1 lb boneless beef short rib (recommended) or other steak, sliced into 1/4" thick slices
  • 1 cup peanut oil for frying
  • 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp potato starch (substitute for all-purpose flour at 1:1 ratio if necessary)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp water
  • For the stir fry:
  • 1 Tbsp minced ginger
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
  • 2 Thai red chiles (Bird's Eye chiles), seeded and finely chopped (for mild heat)
  • 1-2 tsp or more dried chili flakes (optional; 1-2 tsp for medium heat, 3+ tsp for more heat)
  • Sea or kosher salt (to taste)
  • 4 scallions, sliced about 1-inch long on the diagonal
  • 8-10 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
  • 1/2 each red, green and yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the marinade. Add the beef and mix well to ensure good coverage. Let marinate for 15 minutes in a fridge.
Heat peanut oil to about 300F in a wok. Add half of the beef and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring gently, until the meat looks nicely browned. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the oil. Repeat with the other half of the beef.
Pour off the oil from the wok, leaving about 3 tablespoons behind. Over a high flame, add the ginger, garlic, Thai chiles and chili flakes and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the bell peppers and the asparagus and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until the veggies softened up and look slightly charred. Return the beef to the wok, add sesame oil, scallions and stir well. Taste and adjust salt to taste. Continue stir-frying until the beef is sizzling and fragrant, about a minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Instructions