Yield: 3 to 4

Adapted from: Omnivore’s Cookbook

Beef with snow peas features thin slices of beef with crisp snow peas and a hearty brown sauce. The sauce has a savory and slightly sweet flavor.  The beef is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch to help tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor.

Marinade:

• 1lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain (or skirt steak)
• 1TBS oyster sauce
• 2TBS Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1TBS vegetable oil
• 1TBS cornstarch

Sauce:

• ¼cup chicken stock
• 1½TBS oyster sauce
• 1TBS Shaoxing wine
• 1tsp dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
• ½tsp sugar
• 1tsp cornstarch
• 1tsp sesame oil

Stir fry:

• 1-2TBS peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2cups snow peas
• 1onion 
• 1tsp ginger, minced
• 1clove garlic, minced

Note:
Flank steak is usually too wide for bite sized pieces, so it’s best to cut it in half lengthwise and then thinly slice each half.

Marinate steak:
Combine the steak, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, and oil, in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well with your hands to knead and coat the beef evenly. Add the cornstarch and knead that in. Marinate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

Prep veggies:
Pull the strings from the snow peas and slice the onion in half, trim the root end and tip, then slice lengthwise (julienne) in ½-inch wide strips.

Premix sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients, chicken stock, oyster sauce,  Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and corn starch  in a small bowl.  Stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. Add the sesame oil and set it aside.

Stir fry steak:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the marinated steak into a single layer, cooking in batches to avoid overcrowding if necessary. Sear on one side for 1 minute or until the bottom is lightly charred. Flip and sear for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the other side is cooked but the inside is still slightly pink. Transfer the steak to a plate, leaving any excess oil in the pan.

Stir fry vegetables:
If the pan looks dry, add another TBS of oil to the pan. Add the snow peas and onions. Cook and stir for about 1 minute.

Add the ginger and garlic. Continue to cook for another 30 seconds.

Finish and serve:
Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour it into the pan. Add the beef back to the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens. Immediately transfer everything to a large plate and serve hot as a main dish.