Stir Fried Tomato Beef

It's funny to think that there used to be a time when Chinese food seemed exotic and Chinese cooking seemed like some sort of uncrackable code. Back in the early '90s, my brother-in-law gave me a wonderful cookbook called "Everybody's Wokking," by Martin Yan. It was an introduction to Asian cooking very broadly, including Chinese recipes, yes, but also Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese. Despite the cheesy title--I mean, really? That's the best the marketing people could come up with?--it's a great resource, one that I've used so often some of the pages are falling out.

This recipe comes from that book (obviously), though I have adapted it for a big American families/bellies, and I've adjusted some of the cooking times so that the vegetables come out tasting a little fresher. The great thing about this recipe is that it tastes like "real" Chinese food--or, more accurately, like the food you get in a Chinese restaurant. Part of the secret, in case you're thinking about leaving it out, is the sesame sauce, so it's well worth the extra trip to the grocery store after you forget it the first time.

This dish can be served over either white or brown rice, and despite the fussiness of all the various sauces and marinades, it really doesn't take too long--in fact, once you start the stir-frying, it's really only about five to eight minutes.

Stir Fried Tomato Beef

Marinade

3 TB soy sauce

3 TB dry sherry

1 TB cornstarch

Sauce

3/8th cup chicken broth (just under half a cup, for the mathematically impaired)

3/8th cup ketchup

1.5 TB soy sauce

1.5 TB distilled white vinegar (is vinegar ever not distilled?)

1/2-1 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1.5 teaspoons sesame oil

1 TB sugar

Stir Fry

1-1.5 lb flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

3 TB vegetable oil

1.5 teaspoons minced garlic

1 medium onion, sliced into eight wedges

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced into eight wedges

1 can bamboo shoots, drained

1 head of broccoli, chopped into kid-friendly "trees"

2.5 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 TB of water

1. Cook the rice according to instructions
2. Mix marinade ingredients, add the sliced beef, and stir to coat. Set aside.
3. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Chop your vegetables and drain your shoots.
5. 2.5 teaspoons cornstarch in 2 TB water, set aside.
6. Heat the wok. Once it's hot, add two TB of oil and swirl to coat (the wok, not you).
7. Add beef and stir-fry for two minutes exactly. Remove. Don't worry that it's still pink.
8. Add remaining TB oil, heat, add garlic and onion, cook for 1-1.5 minutes.
9. Add the bell pepper, the bamboo shoots, and the broccoli. Stir fry for two minutes.
10. Return the beef to the wok and add the sauce. Stir in half of the cornstarch mixture.
11. Cook, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken.
12. Add the tomatoes. Stir, cook for thirty seconds or so, adding the rest of the cornstarch if sauce still seems runny.
13. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Family Ratings, on a scale of 1-10:

Jamie, who always needs a toothpick afterwards: 9

Lucy, who doesn't like cooked tomatoes but loves beef: 9

Will, who hates everything: 10

Ellen, who would be a vegetarian if she were married to someone else: 8

Paul, who has fond memories of going to eat "authentic" Chinese food in LaCrosse, WI: 10