Beef & Asparagus Stir-Fry
The meat for this dish should be very thinly sliced. Ask your butcher to slice it for you at purchase, or put it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour and then slice it yourself. Firming up the meat in the freezer makes cutting very thin, uniform slices easier.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbs. dry sherry
- 1 tsp. chili oil
- 1/4 cup peanut oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 lb. slender asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Steamed rice for serving
Directions
Cook the beef and vegetables
Lightly season the beef with salt and black pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, sherry, chili oil and 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
In a wok or large fry pan over high heat, warm the peanut oil. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, add the beef and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly seared, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
Finish the dish
Return the meat and any juices from the plate to the pan, add the hoisin mixture and stir well. Simmer briefly until heated through.
Divide the rice among shallow bowls, top with beef and asparagus, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Simple Suppers, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2007).
Lightly season the beef with salt and black pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, sherry, chili oil and 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
In a wok or large fry pan over high heat, warm the peanut oil. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, add the beef and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly seared, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
Finish the dish
Return the meat and any juices from the plate to the pan, add the hoisin mixture and stir well. Simmer briefly until heated through.
Divide the rice among shallow bowls, top with beef and asparagus, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Simple Suppers, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2007).