Beef stir fry is a popular and universally loved dish in China. The best choice to cook this dish is using a wok, but this time I forgot about it and finally made it with a non-stick pan. It also tastes good but lacks “wok hei” (锅气) which is the smoky flavor resulting from stir-frying foods over an open flame
Whether using a pan or a wok, the key is to make sure that you stir fry and season the beef quickly over high heat. This way, the beef can be tender. Otherwise, it will be tough and chewy. Once you master the techniques, you can whip up this delicious dish in just 10 minutes!
The tenderness, spiciness, and savoriness characterize this dish, making it a perfect match for rice. This dish is widely recognized as a “rice killer,” so remember to control your rice intake.
Now let me tell you how to make this dish.
Ingredients & Seasonings
- Beef 200g, thinly sliced tenderloin
- Green chili peppers, sliced diagonally
- Red chili peppers, sliced diagonally
- 1 stalk of scallion, cut into sections
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 slices of ginger, minced
- Oil
- Salt
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
Beef tenderloin is usually used for this dish. If unavailable, other cuts also work, but avoid fatty or sinewy parts as they can affect the texture. Pat dry before slicing.
It’s best to choose spicy chili peppers, such as the long red and green peppers I used. Using two different colors of chili peppers adds to the visual appeal.
If you’re unable to ensure quick stir-frying of the beef, you can marinate it to make it more tender.
How to Marinate the Beef
First of all, prepare the following ingredients:
- 1/4 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 piece of ginger, minced
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp oil
Place the beef in a dry bowl, then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, minced ginger, and cornstarch. Since light and dark soy sauce include salt, I didn’t add additional salt. Mix thoroughly by hand, ensuring they’re well combined, for about 2 minutes. Lastly, add the oil and mix again.
The light and dark soy sauces serve for initial seasoning; therefore, you won’t need to add them later. Also, you need to reduce the amount of salt while cooking. Ginger helps to remove meaty odor. The cornstarch ensures a tender texture. The oil prevents the loss of meat juices, maintaining the beef’s tenderness.
Once marinated, you can start stir-frying after about 15 minutes. If you can’t wait, you can stir-fry immediately.
How to Stir Fry Spicy Beef
As mentioned earlier, this dish is best cooked using an iron wok over intense heat to lock in the beef’s moisture and preserve its tender texture, imparting a subtle smoky flavor known as “wok hei” (锅气), which enhances the dish’s taste. However, if using a non-stick pan, it is not recommended to use high heat, so it won’t have the “wok hei.”
I’ll demonstrate the steps using a non-stick pan with a coating, but the steps are the same for an iron wok.
Stir-fry with Unmarinated Beef
Step 1: Dry the non-stick pan, then add 2.5 tbsp oil. A little more oil prevents the beef from losing moisture. Heat the oil over high heat. Remember to rotate the pan to evenly heat both the pan and the oil. When you see the oil surface start to ripple, it’s hot. To make sure that the oil is hot enough, it’s best to heat until there’s a slight hint of smoke.
Once the oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic, stir-frying briefly before adding the beef.
If using an iron wok, make sure to heat the wok until it’s slightly smoky before adding the oil to heat. The subsequent steps are the same as for the non-stick pan.
Step 2: Stir-fry the beef with ginger and garlic quickly. When the beef changes color with only a slight red, remove it from the pan, about 70% cooked.
Step 3: Add a little oil to the pan, then add the chili peppers and stir-fry.
Once they change color and soften slightly, add the beef back to the pan and quickly add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp light soy sauce, 1/8 tsp dark soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp oyster sauce. Continue to stir-fry quickly.
Step 4: Stir-fry for another 15-20 seconds. Once the beef is almost cooked, add the scallion sections and stir-fry briefly before serving.
Stir-fry with Marinated Beef
Step 1: Heat the pan/wok and oil, following the same steps as for stir-frying unmarinated beef. However, use less oil, about 2 tbsp. Then, skip adding ginger and garlic and directly add the beef.
Step 2: Allow the beef to sit in the pan for about 5 seconds. Then quickly stir fry the beef until 70% cooked, and remove from the pan.
Step 3: Add a little oil to the pan and sauté the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Then add the chili peppers and stir-fry. Add a pinch of salt to season these ingredients. No need to consider beef.
Step 4: Once the chili peppers change color and soften slightly, return the beef to the pan. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked, then add the scallion sections and stir-fry briefly before serving.
The steps are simple, right? The key is to be quick, so you won’t fail.
