Japanese Beef Stir-Fry
Submitted by Skyner
Japanese-style beef stir-fry with thinly sliced flank steak, snow peas, red pepper, escarole, and fresh ginger in a soy-brown sugar glaze. A fast, colorful skillet dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThis Japanese-style beef stir-fry gets paper-thin flank steak slices by using a smart trick: partially freeze the meat first. A semi-frozen steak is firm enough to slice almost translucently thin, which means the beef cooks in seconds and stays tender.
The vegetables cook in the beef drippings, picking up savory flavor from the start. Red bell pepper, onion, fresh ginger, and garlic go in first and cook until crisp-tender. Then snow peas, chopped escarole, soy sauce, and a touch of brown sugar finish the dish in about a minute. The escarole wilts quickly into a slightly bitter green that plays off the sweet soy glaze.
Escarole is an unexpected choice in a stir-fry, but its sturdy leaves hold up better than spinach and add a bitter edge that balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and red pepper.
Chef Tips
- Slice the flank steak against the grain while partially frozen. With the grain and the slices are chewy; against it and they practically melt.
- Get the skillet genuinely hot before adding the beef. You want a fast sear, not a slow simmer. Two to three minutes maximum.
- Remove the beef before cooking the vegetables. Leaving it in the pan overcooks it during the vegetable stage.
- Add the snow peas and escarole last and cook for just one minute. Both wilt and go limp fast.
Variations
- Swap escarole for bok choy or baby spinach for a milder green.
- Add a splash of mirin or rice wine with the soy sauce for a more authentically Japanese flavor.
- Serve over steamed rice or soba noodles for a more filling meal.
Ingredients
Directions
- Place the flank steak in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until firm but not solid. Slice it very thinly against the grain using a sharp knife held almost parallel to the board. This gives you those tender, restaurant-style strips.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and water until smooth. Toss the sliced beef with this mixture and let it marinate for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables. This quick Japanese-style marinade builds flavor and helps tenderize.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until nicely browned but still pink inside. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and keep warm.
- In the same skillet with the flavorful drippings, add the sliced red bell pepper, onion, minced ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetables turn bright and crisp-tender. The ginger and garlic should fill your kitchen with that irresistible aromatic punch.
- Add the snow peas and chopped escarole along with the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until the peas heat through and the escarole just wilts while staying vibrant.
- Return the beef to the skillet and pour in any remaining marinade. Toss everything together for 1 minute so the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that coats every piece. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil if using.
Serve immediately over steamed rice or noodles to soak up all that savory sauce.
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