Beef and String Beans
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
35 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
337 kcal
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Cuisine
Chinese
Beef and String Beans
Description
The flank steak is sliced thin and marinated with baking soda (optional), water, cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce to tenderize and enhance flavor. The beef is seared quickly over high heat to brown the outside without overcooking inside, then set aside. String beans are stir-fried until wrinkled and slightly charred, adding a smoky element.
Garlic is stir-fried briefly with the beans before the mixture is deglazed with Shaoxing wine. A sauce combining chicken stock, various soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper is added along with a cornstarch slurry to thicken. The beef is returned to the wok and tossed to coat evenly.
The final dish balances the umami depth of the sauce with tender beef and crisp-tender string beans. This stir-fry technique preserves the freshness of the beans and the satiating texture of the beef, suitable for serving alongside steamed rice.
Ingredients
For the beef & marinade:
- 1 pound flank steak (sliced into thin strips)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup chicken stock low sodium
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce light
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 pound string beans (ends trimmed and cut in half)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 3 tablespoons/45 ml water)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the beef, baking soda, and water (if you don’t want your beef tenderized too much, omit the baking soda). Massage the beef with your hands until all the liquid is absorbed. Mix in the cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside: the chicken stock, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.
- Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and sear the beef until browned (this should only take 2 minutes). Turn off the heat, remove the beef from the wok, and set aside. Leave behind any oil in the wok.
- Set the wok over medium heat and add another tablespoon of oil to the along with the string beans. Sear the string beans on all sides until lightly scorched and wrinkly, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high, and pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.
- Next, add in the sauce mixture you made earlier. Stir the sauce around the sides of the wok to deglaze it (all those nice bits from stir-frying the beef should be absorbed into the sauce). Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Stir the cornstarch and water slurry to ensure it’s well combined, and drizzle the mixture into sauce while stirring constantly. Allow it to simmer and thicken for 20 seconds. Add the beef back to the wok and stir-fry to combine. Serve with rice!
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 337 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 337kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 68mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 770mg | 32% |
| Potassium | 679mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 783IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 74mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.