Stir Fried Caribou with Black Bean Sauce
Submitted by gonshoppin
Lean caribou strips seared fast in sesame oil and smothered in a from-scratch black bean sauce spiked with ginger, garlic, and chile. Swap in venison or beef if caribou isn’t in your freezer.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
540 minCOOK
180 minREADY
720 minIf you’ve got caribou in the freezer and a taste for something beyond the usual stir-fry, this is your recipe.
Thin strips of lean game meat hit a screaming-hot wok for just seconds, then get tossed with celery, mushrooms, onion, and bean sprouts before being drenched in a smoky, earthy black bean sauce you build entirely from scratch.
That sauce is the real star here. Dried black beans simmer low with ginger, garlic, chile, and sherry vinegar until they break down into something rich and deeply savory.
No caribou? Venison or beef steak works just as well.
Chef Tips
- Soak the beans overnight and don’t skip this step. It cuts the simmering time and gives you a smoother final sauce.
- Slice the meat against the grain into quarter-inch strips. Caribou is lean and can get chewy fast if cut wrong or overcooked.
- Make the sauce ahead. It keeps in the fridge for several days and actually improves with time. The stir-fry itself takes only minutes.
- Keep the heat high when searing the meat. Game meat should spend as little time in the pan as possible to stay tender.
- Pass extra sauce at the table. The recipe makes more than you need for the stir-fry, and it’s too good to waste.
Ingredients
Directions
To make sauce: soak the beans in water overnight; rinse and drain.
Combine black beans, stock, ginger, garlic, chile and vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
Pour into blender or food processor, add the salt and blend until smooth.
Return to the saucepan and hold over a low heat.
To make stir-fry: trim all the fat from meat and cut, against the grain, into quarter-inch strips.
Place oil in a nonstick skillet or wok over high heat.
Add the meat and stir fry for a few seconds.
Add ginger, garlic, celery, mushrooms, and onion; stir fry until vegetables are tender-crisp.
Add sprouts and and a cup of the sauce, cover and cook a further 30 to 40 seconds and remove from heat.
Serve with steamed rice and pass the rest of the sauce at the table.
Comments
