Beef and String Beans

Step 1

In a bowl, add the beef, baking soda, and water (if you don’t want your beef tenderized too much, omit the baking soda). Massage the beef with your hands until all the liquid is absorbed. Mix in the cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside: the chicken stock, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Step 3

Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and sear the beef until browned (this should only take 2 minutes). Turn off the heat, remove the beef from the wok, and set aside. Leave behind any oil in the wok.

Step 4

Set the wok over medium heat and add another tablespoon of oil to the along with the string beans. Sear the string beans on all sides until lightly scorched and wrinkly, about 6-8 minutes.

Step 5

Add the garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high, and pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.

Step 6

Next, add in the sauce mixture you made earlier. Stir the sauce around the sides of the wok to deglaze it (all those nice bits from stir-frying the beef should be absorbed into the sauce). Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Step 7

Stir the cornstarch and water slurry to ensure it’s well combined, and drizzle the mixture into sauce while stirring constantly. Allow it to simmer and thicken for 20 seconds. Add the beef back to the wok and stir-fry to combine. Serve with rice!