Oriental Beef with Ginger

This ginger beef stir-fry cooks the vegetables and meat separately, then brings them together in a glossy soy and cornstarch sauce. That two-stage approach is what gives you crisp-tender vegetables and properly seared meat instead of a soggy, steamed mess.

Fresh ginger, garlic, onions, green pepper, and celery hit the hot wok first, cooking just until they still have snap. They come out and the beef goes in for a fast, high-heat sear. Thin-sliced round steak is ideal here because it cooks through in seconds and stays tender.

The sauce mixes together while you prep: beef stock, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. It goes in with the seared beef and thickens almost immediately. The reserved vegetables and quartered fresh tomatoes get added last, just long enough to heat through without losing their texture.

Chef Tips

• Slice the beef as thin as possible, against the grain. Partially freezing it for 20 minutes makes thin slicing much easier.
• Have everything prepped and within reach before you start cooking. Stir-frying moves fast and there’s no time to chop mid-cook.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture right before adding it to the wok. It settles quickly and will clump if it sits.
• The recipe suggests adding broccoli florets or bok choy for a greener version.

Variations

• Add broccoli or bok choy as the recipe suggests for more vegetables and color.
• Use sesame oil instead of vegetable oil for a nuttier, more aromatic base.
• Serve over noodles instead of rice for a lo mein-style meal.