Stir-Fried Beef Salad
Submitted by Eightball_chica
Stir-fried beef salad piles seared strips of round steak and crisp-tender vegetables over wilted fresh spinach for a warm, low-calorie main-dish salad. A high-protein dinner in 30 minutes of cook time.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
32 minREADY
77 minA Warm Beef Salad Built in the Wok
This is a hot-and-cold composed salad. Strips of seared round steak, mushrooms, cucumber, bell pepper, and onion get wok-fried until just crisp-tender, then spooned over a bed of barely wilted spinach. The hot mixture softens the spinach without cooking it down to mush, so each plate has both raw and warm textures in every bite.
Partially freezing the beef before slicing is the technique that makes this work. Firm meat slices into clean, thin strips against the grain, while warm or fully-cooked beef shreds and tears. Aim for 30 minutes in the freezer until the surface is firm but the center still gives.
Cooking the beef in two batches keeps the wok hot enough to sear instead of steam. Crowding drops the temperature, beef releases liquid, and you end up boiling instead of stir-frying. Patience here pays off in the final flavor.
Chef Tips
- Slice the beef across the grain into thin bite-sized strips. This cuts the muscle fibers short and keeps even tougher cuts tender.
- Get the wok ripping hot before adding oil and beef. Smoke means ready.
- Add the tomato wedges last with the returned beef. Tomatoes break down fast and you want them just heated through, not collapsed.
- Serve immediately while the spinach is just wilted. The dish loses its texture contrast as it sits.
Variations
- Drizzle with a quick dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and grated ginger for an Asian lean.
- Swap round steak for flank steak or sirloin tip for a more tender bite.
- Add a handful of cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta for a Mediterranean composed salad.
Ingredients
Directions
Partially freeze beef; slice thinly across the grain into bite-size strips.
In wok or large skillet cook half the beef in hot oil until browned on all sides.
Remove from pan.
Repeat with remaining beef and garlic; remove from pan.
Add mushrooms, cucumber, green pepper strips, onions rings, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper to wok.
Stir-fry 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Return beef to wok; add tomato. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
Remove meat-vegetable mixture to serving bowl; keep warm.
Add spinach leaves to wok; cover and cook for 1 minute or until slightly wilted.
To serve,
Arrange spinach on four bowls or plates; spoon meat mixture atop.
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