Stir-fried beef with ginger
Forget a takeaway – make this beef and green pepper stir-fry with fragrant lemongrass and ginger instead. Marinate the beef while you prep the other ingredients
Ingredients
- 350g lean beef, cut across the grain into thin slices (you need a quick-cooking cut, such as minute steak)
- 1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 bunches of spring onions, green and white parts separated and finely sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- small bunch of basil, or purple basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- cooked rice (about 250g uncooked weight), or cooked rice noodles
- 50g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Directions
Method
- STEP 1
Toss the strips of steak, the lemongrass, soy sauce, half the fish sauce, half the sugar and half the chilli flakes together in a bowl. Set aside in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 mins or up to 6 hrs.
- STEP 2
Mix the remaining fish sauce with the lime juice, remaining chilli flakes, the rest of the sugar and 3 tbsp water, then set aside.
- STEP 3
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick or cast iron wok or frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, tip in half the marinated steak strips and stir-fry for 2 mins until just cooked through, then remove to a large plate using tongs or a slotted spoon and repeat using another 1 tbsp of oil and the remaining beef. Remove to the plate, then wipe the wok or pan clean using kitchen paper.
- STEP 4
Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the green pepper and the white parts of the spring onion. Stir-fry over a high heat for 2-3 mins, then add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for another 45 seconds-1 min. Return the steak to the pan, stir well, then add the lime dressing and most of the basil leaves, mixing well to coat.
- STEP 5
Divide the stir-fry between bowls alongside rice or noodles, then scatter with the chopped peanuts, the remaining basil leaves and the green parts of the spring onions.