Beef Stir Fry

Cooks Illustrated - Beef Stirfry

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pound flank steak, trimmed, cut into 2- to 2 1/2-inch strips with grain, each strip cut ­crosswise against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 6 scallions, white parts sliced thin on bias, green parts cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Directions

1. Combine 1 tablespoon water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

2. Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar together in small bowl. Add soy sauce mixture to beef, stir to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons sherry, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper together in second bowl.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining beef and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.

5. Return skillet to high heat, add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add bell peppers and scallion greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl with beef.

6. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Return beef and vegetables to skillet and stir to combine.

7. Whisk sauce to recombine. Add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.