Description
Comfort meets bold flavor in this Chinese beef and onion stir fry recipe, showcasing tender meat and caramelized onions. Quick wok techniques ensure a delicious meal that brings authentic Asian culinary traditions directly to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10.6 oz (300 g) sirloin steak
- 1.5 tbsps oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 0.5 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry/rice wine)
- 0.5 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (or rice wine)
- 0.5 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 0.25 tsp dark soy sauce (for color; substitute with regular if necessary)
- 1 stalk green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 0.5 white onion (or yellow onion), thinly sliced
- 4 to 5 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
- 2 tbsps water
- 0.5 cup water for the sauce
Instructions
- Preparation: Slice onions into delicate ribbons, mince garlic, julienne ginger, and chop green onions diagonally. Thinly slice beef against the grain, creating paper-thin strips.
- Marination: Create a marinade with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, and sesame oil. Immerse beef for 15 minutes, then coat with cornstarch and vegetable oil mixture.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk soy sauce and cornstarch until smooth. Blend in sugar, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and water to form a cohesive sauce.
- Beef Searing: Heat wok intensely with oil. Quickly sear marinated beef for 2-3 minutes until barely cooked, then remove and set aside.
- Vegetable and Sauce Integration: In the same wok, rapidly sauté ginger, then add garlic and onions. Stir until translucent and aromatic. Pour prepared sauce, allowing it to bubble and thicken.
- Final Combination: Return beef and green onions to the wok. Toss vigorously to ensure complete coating and heating, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until piping hot and glistening.
- Serving: Plate stir fry immediately with steamed jasmine rice, optionally garnishing with extra green onion snippets.
Notes
- Slice Against the Grain: Cut beef perpendicular to muscle fibers for maximum tenderness and easier chewing, preventing tough, chewy meat.
- Marinate for Flavor: Letting beef sit in marinade helps tenderize proteins and infuse deep, rich Chinese-style seasoning throughout the meat.
- High Heat is Critical: Wok cooking requires extremely hot surface to create signature quick-sear technique and prevent meat from becoming soggy or steamed.
- Timing Matters: Cook beef just until barely done, then remove to avoid overcooking, which makes meat tough and prevents achieving that classic stir-fry texture and shine.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg