Dish of Beef with Yu Choy
(click to enlarge)

Beef with Yu Choy


China
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 w/rice
***
1-1/2 hrs
Prep		 This intensely flavored stir-fry of Beef with Yu Choy. Other choys could also be used. The list of ingredients looks long, but the marinade and sauce are made together.

12
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2
1/2
1/3
1
1
1
2
1
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1
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2
1/2
1/3
2
1
1
2
1
1/4
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2
1/2
1
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1/4
oz
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cl
in
t
T
T
T
T
t
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#
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cl
in
t
T
T
T
T
t
c
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T
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T
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c
Beef, lean (1)
-- Marinade
Garlic
Ginger root
Pepper, black
Corn Starch
Soy Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Rice Wine (2)
Sesame Oil, dark
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Yu Choy (3)
-- Sauce
Garlic
Ginger
Pepper
Chili Garlic (4)
Soy Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Rice Wine (2)
Sesame Oil, dark
Water
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Oil
Cornstarch
Water
-- Garnish
Peanuts, raw (5)
Do Aheaed   -   (20 min)
  1. If using, and not on hand, dry roast peanuts (see Note-5).
Prep   -   (1-1/4 hr - 20 min work)
  1. Dry Roast PEANUTS for garnish.
  2. Slice BEEF across the grain about 1/8 inch thick and cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long.
  3. Make Marinade and Sauce. They are very similar, so easiest to make them at the same time. Crush 4 cl GARLIC and chop fine. Slice 1 in GINGER very thin and chop fine. Mix together and divide into two equal amounts. Mix together all Marinade items and Sauce items (keeping them separate, of course)
  4. Massage Marinade into Beef. Set aside to marinate for an hour or so.
  5. Rinse YU CHOY and cut it whichever way you like. For Yu Choy stems do not need to be held separate unless they are quite large but I usually do anyway. Other choys may need the stems separated.
  6. Mix Cornstarch with Water.
RUN   -   (15 min)
  1. In a wok or spacious sauté pan heat Oil and stir in Beef. Fry stirring over high flame until it has completely lost its raw color and all exuded liquid has evaporated.
  2. Stir in Yu Choy Stems (if separate) and fry stirring about 2 minutes, then stir in Leaves until wilted coated with oil.
  3. Stir in Sauce Mix and bring to a boil. Simmer covered, turning now and then until Yu Choy stems are crisp tender, about 4 minutes.
  4. Stir up the Cornstarch mix and stir into the pan until well distributed.
  5. Serve hot, garnished with Peanuts and with plenty of steamed Jasmine rice.
NOTES:

  1. Beef:

      Weight is for boneless with all excess fat trimmed away. Use a reasonably tender cut such as shoulder as cooking time is short.

  2. Rice Wine:

      Use a good, drinkable Chinese rice wine, not that horrid salted "cooking" version. If you don't have this, use a Dry Sherry. Sake is made from rice but is not considered a good substitute, it's beer, not wine. For details see our Chinese Rice Wine page.

  3. Yu Choy:

      This is an edible version of the plant that produces the seeds canola oil is processed from. It is now widely grown in North America and readily available in most markets serving an East or Southeast Asian community. For details see our Yu Choy page. You can use other forms of choy as alternatives, but but in most cases give the stems more of a lead over the leaves in cooking. The flavor will be a bit different and in most cases less sweet. For details see our Cabbage Greens page.

  4. Chili Garlic Sauce:

    The ubiquitous Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce (in the jar, not the squeeze bottle) will do just fine - and since it's made in Irwindale, California you can be pretty sure it's unleaded and contains no melamine. 1 T is pretty mild. 2 T decently spicy by Southern California standards.

  5. Peanuts:

      Dry roasted raw peanuts are actually quite different from commercially roasted peanuts. For details see our recipe Dry Roasted Peanuts
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch ar=as required tt=to taste
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