Szechuan Beef Stir-Fry

From the kitchen of Carly

Velvet-marinated beef strips stir-fried with vegetables in a glossy oyster-soy sauce, brightened with hot chili. The cornstarch-and-egg-white marinade is the trick that gets restaurants their signature tender beef. 30 minutes from fridge to plate. The velvet step is the entire game. Skip it and the beef turns out tough; do it and you'll wonder why you ever ordered takeout.

Szechuan Beef Stir-Fry
Prep
25 min
Cook
15 min
Total
40 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 0.5 lbbeef sirloin or flank, sliced thin against the grain
  • 0.5 tspkosher salt
  • 1 tsptoasted sesame oil
  • 1 pinchwhite pepper
  • 1egg white
  • 3 tbspcornstarch (divided)
  • 4 tbspvegetable oil (divided)
  • 1 tspfresh ginger, minced
  • 1 tspgarlic, minced
  • 0.75 cupyellow onion, sliced
  • 0.5 cupcarrots, julienned
  • 0.75 cupgreen bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cupcelery, sliced thin on the diagonal
  • 1 cupmushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tbspShaoxing wine or sherry
  • 1 cupwater
  • 1 tbspoyster sauce
  • 0.5 tsphot sauce or sambal oelek
  • 1 tspgranulated sugar
  • 1 tbspsoy sauce

Instructions

  1. Velvet the beef. In a bowl, combine the sliced beef with the salt, sesame oil, white pepper, egg white, 2 tbsp of the cornstarch, and 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil. Mix until every strip is coated. Let sit 15 minutes (or up to 1 hour in the fridge).

  2. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking.

  3. Add the marinated beef in a single layer. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through. Move to a plate.

  4. Drop the heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the wok.

  5. Stir-fry the minced ginger and garlic for 15 seconds.

  6. Add all the vegetables (onion, carrots, bell pepper, celery, mushrooms). Toss for 2 minutes until they start to soften but still have crunch.

  7. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and water. Add the oyster sauce, hot sauce, and sugar. Bring to a simmer.

  8. Return the beef to the wok with the soy sauce. Toss to coat.

  9. Make a slurry: whisk the remaining 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a small bowl.

  10. Stream the slurry into the simmering sauce, tossing constantly. Cook 30 seconds to a minute until the sauce thickens to a glossy glaze.

  11. Taste, adjust salt or hot sauce. Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice.

Substitutions
  • beef sirloin to flank steak, hanger, or skirt. All slice well across the grain. Flank is the budget go-to; skirt and hanger pack more flavor.
  • oyster sauce to hoisin sauce. Hoisin is sweeter and thicker. Use 1 tbsp; reduce sugar by 1/2 tsp to balance.
  • Shaoxing wine to dry sherry or sake. All three work. Skip alcohol entirely with 1 tbsp chicken broth + 1/2 tsp rice vinegar.

Pairs well with: Steamed jasmine rice (essential), A simple cucumber-and-rice-vinegar salad, Cold Tsingtao or any rice lager

Adapted from TheMealDB.