Szechwan Beef Stir-Fry

I am always looking for new ways to cook beef.  I have made stir-frys’ in the past but none of them were Szechwan.  What is Szechwan Cuisine?  Well Szechwan means originating from the Sichuan Province of southwestern China.  I is known for  bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers¹. This stir-fry fits that bill exactly.  Lots of garlic with a hint of spice.  Delicious!

Szechwan Beef Stir-Fry – (Adapted from BH&G New Cookbook)

• 1 pound sirloin beef
• 3 tbs dry sherry
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs water
• 2 tbs hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, crushedminced
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 16 oz frozen stir-fry veggies, thawed
• 2 cups cooked rice

Thinly slice the beef across the grain into bite sized pieces.  The easiest way to do this is to partially freeze the beef for 10 minutes in the freezer.  It will make it a lot easier to cut.  Plus then you end up with perfect evenly sized pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine the sherry, soy sauce, water, hoisin, cornstarch, ginger, brown sugar, red pepper, black pepper and garlic.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat.  Add the vegetable oil and then the veggies.  Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes till the veggies are crisp and tender.  Remove them from the wok and set aside.

Add the beef to the wok and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until browned and starting to caramelize.

Push the beef to the edges of the pan forming a well in the center.  Then pour the sauce into the center of the pan.

Stir the sauce until it starts to bubble and thicken.  Then stir it into the meat and add the veggies.  Stir until combined. Make sure the veggies are heated all the way through and serve.

Serve this over rice for a great meal.

It was my favorite stir-fry ever!  It was delicious!

¹ – Wikipedia (Szechwan) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szechuan_cuisine