Chinese Beef & Green Bean Stir Fry

One of my favorite Chinese dishes is Beef & Brocolli Stirfry. And somehow, my mom's is always the best. Everytime I go home, I ask her to tutor me again on this dish. And everytime I go back to my house, I try it and it never tastes the same. I don't know why. Must be that thing about your Mom's cooking.

Anyway, for my birthday, I decided to try it again. However, since brocolli isn't very common over here, and my husband isn't really a fan, I made it with green beans. Served with steamed rice, it was delicious, but the reality is, it will never be as good as Mom's.

Chinese Beef & Green Bean Stir Fry

Serves 4-6 people

1 kg Beef, cut into thin slices across the grain

1 kg Green Beans, trimmed and cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces

Marinade Ingredients

2 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Water

2 tbsp Corn Starch

Other Ingredients

1/4 cup Oyster Sauce

1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Cornstarch

1/3 cup Water

5 cloves Garlic

1 inch piece Ginger , cut into slices, then sticks

Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

Place the beef in a bowl or ziplock bag. Add all the marinade ingredients except the cornstarch. Massage into the beef. The sprinkle in the cornstarch, ensuring the beef is coated with it. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In the meantime, blanch the beans in boiling water until they turn bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water so they stop cooking.

In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry (Chinese method of thickening).

Heat a wok or large sautee pan on high heat. Add about 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add the beef and cook for about 3-4 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Add the blanched beans and fry for about 1 minute. Add the beef back into the pan. Stir in the oyster sauce and soy sauce. Then add the slurry. As soon as the mixture thickens up, it is ready to serve. Add salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice.