Dish of Beef with Bok Choy & Rice Ovals
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Beef with Bok Choy & Rice Ovals


China - Shanghai
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 main
***
1-1/4 hrs
Prep		 This flavorful Beef with Choy recipe doesn't need separately cooked rice - it has plenty of rice right in it. Rice Ovals, popular in China and Korea, give this dish an unusual texture.

10
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1
1
1/4
2
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1-1/2
1
ar
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1/4
3
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1
1
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oz
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T
T
t
t
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#
#

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c
T
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T
T
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Beef, lean (1)  
-- Marinade
Soy Sauce
Rice Wine (2)
Pepper
Corn Starch
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Bok Choy (3)
Rice Ovals (4)
Water
-- Sauce
Soy Sauce
Oyster Sauce
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Oil
Oil (more)
-- Garnish
Scallions
Prep   -   (45 min - 25 min work)
  1. Slice BEEF across the grain about 1/8 inch thick and cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long.
  2. Make Marinade and massage it into Beef. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes or so.
  3. Rinse BOK CHOY and cut it into bite size pieces however you like. For Shanghai Bok Choy stems do not need to be held separate. Other choys may need the stems separated.
  4. Bring plenty of Water to a boil and stir in the Rice Ovals. Simmer until soft but still chewy. For semi-dry this will be about 8 to 10 minutes, for fresh, a few minutes less. Refresh in cold water to stop cooking and drain well. Tumble them very well with a good dollop of oil to keep them separate - they will stick if not completely coated.
  5. Mix all Sauce items.
  6. Slice Scallions thin for garnish, white and green.
RUN   -   (20 min)
  1. In a wok or spacious sauté pan heat Oil and stir in Bok Choy. Fry stirring over moderately high flame until it is crisp tender and tastes cooked. For some choys you will need to give the stems a head start (see Note-3). Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.
  2. Add 1 T Oil to the pan and stir in Beef. Fry stirring over high heat until it has completely lost its raw color and any exuded liquid has evaporated. Be careful not to burn any fond that adheres to the pan.
  3. Stir in Rice Ovals and Sauce mix. Fry stirring over moderate heat until ovals are nicely coated. Separate any that are stuck together.
  4. Stir in Bok Choy and fry stirring until well coated with sauce and heated through. Stir in a little water to loosen if needed, or more Oyster Sauce and/or Soy Sauce if needed for more sauce or to adjust flavor.
  5. Serve hot, garnished with Scallions.
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. For details see our Chinese Rice Wine page.

  3. Bok Choy:

      This is a Shanghai recipe, so Shanghai Bok Choy is most appropriate - it's the green stemmed choy sold in the markets as "Baby Bok Choy". For details see our Shanghai Bok Choy page. You can use other forms of choy as alternatives, but but, except for Shanghai bok choy and Yu Choy, give the stems a couple minutes lead over the leaves in cooking. Of course, each choy has a somewhat different flavor. For details see our Cabbage Greens page.

  4. Rice Ovals:

    These are available in practically any market serving a Chinese or Korean community. The vacuum packed semi-dry ones are most convenient, since they can be stored (unlike fresh) and do not require soaking (like the dried) for details see our Rice Noodles page.
  5. 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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