Orange-Sesame Beef Stir-Fry

This little experiment turned out quite well! The sauce was nice and really came out well on the meat, while the vegetables still tasted a bit of ginger. I've never eaten this in a restaurant (though I've heard of it, obviously) so I can't say how it compares, but as an at-home stir-fry it was great!

Ingredients:

about 3 ounces of beef strips, cut into smaller pieces

about 2 tablespoons and 1/2 tablespoons of reduced sodium soy sauce, divided

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon corn starch

ginger root to taste, minced

garlic to taste, minced

4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

as much broccoli as you want, broken into small pieces

1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided

you'll also need:

a small pot of salted water

strainer

medium non-stick wok 

bowl for marinating your meat

small bowl for mixing sauce

1. put the beef strips in a bowl with about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce; toss to coat well and let marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours in the fridge. This marinade will give the beef a very dark color, so you'll want to make sure it's properly cooked during the cooking stage.

2. bring the pot of salted water to a boil, then drop in the carrots and broccoli. Blanch them (let them boil) for 2 minutes, then drain them and run cold water over them. This will help them cook faster in the stir-fry. Set aside.

3. meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the 3 tablespoons orange juice, 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon corn starch together with a fork. Blend them until there are no lumps left. This is your sauce: set aside.

4. over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds in the wok until lightly toasted. Remove from wok and set aside.

5. still over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to the wok. Add the garlic and ginger with the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are at the tenderness you like. Remove them from the wok.

6. with another teaspoon of vegetable oil, stir-fry the beef until it's cooked. When it's done (most of the liquid should have been re-absorbed) remove it from the wok and set aside.

7. pour the sauce into the wok and cook until it's thickened. Add the meat and vegetables back in and stir to coat. Off the heat, add the sesame seeds and stir until coated.

8. serve your stir-fry. Yummy!





I made this recipe up after reading a bunch of them on the big wild Internet. It's not so much invented as cobbled together.