Emperor's Beef Recipe
Marinated sliced beef stir fried with mushroom, onion and peppers in a flavorful Cantonese style sauce over a bed of greens
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Ingredients
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Marinated Beef
Vegetables & Aromatics
Cantonese-style Sauce
Finishing & Cooking
Method
Marinated Beef
- 1
Slice and combine
Trim beef of excess fat and thinly slice against the grain into 1/8"–1/4" strips. In a bowl combine 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs Shaoxing wine, 1 tbs cornstarch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp white pepper and 1/2 tsp sugar. Add beef, toss thoroughly to coat, cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 2
- 3
Blanch greens (optional, recommended for a bed)
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanche baby bok choy or gai lan for 30–45 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking, then drain. Arrange greens on a serving platter as a bed for the finished stir-fry.
Cantonese-style Sauce
- 4
Make sauce
In a small bowl whisk together 1.5 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy, 1 tbs light soy, 1/2 cup chicken stock (or water), 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp sugar. In a separate small cup dissolve 1 tsp cornstarch in 1–2 tbs cold water to make a slurry and set aside.
Stir-fry & Finish
- 5
Heat wok and sear beef
Place a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbs vegetable oil and swirl. Add the marinated beef in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and stir-fry 40–60 seconds until browned but not fully cooked through. Remove beef to a plate and set aside.
- 6
Cook aromatics and vegetables
Add the remaining 1 tbs vegetable oil to the wok. When shimmering, add garlic and ginger and stir-fry 10–15 seconds until fragrant. Add sliced mushrooms and stir-fry 1–2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add sliced onion and bell peppers and stir-fry another 1–2 minutes until vegetables are bright and just tender-crisp.
- 7
Combine beef and sauce
Return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the wok. Give the prepared Cantonese-style sauce a quick stir and pour it over the beef and vegetables. Stir everything to combine and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, about 30–45 seconds.
- 8
Thicken sauce
Stir the cornstarch slurry and slowly drizzle it into the simmering sauce while stirring. Cook 30–60 seconds until sauce thickens and coats the beef and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning with up to 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper if needed.
- 9
Finish and serve
Turn off heat and drizzle 1/2 tsp sesame oil over the stir-fry. Transfer the hot beef, mushrooms and peppers over the bed of blanched greens. Garnish with sliced scallions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles.