From the Book: Stir-Fried Beef with Pickled Greens and Garlic Chives
March 17th, 2020
This recipe is one that we make all the time—maybe every two weeks. It’s a huge hit with everyone in the family, and it’s really, really easy to throw together. I use homemade pickled greens, but in a pinch I also use jarred “pickled mustard greens” from the Chinese market. If you’re using a jarred version, taste them first. If they’re a bit sweet (as many are) rinse the pickles really well, then mix them with a little salt and let them sit for a few minutes before continuing with the recipe.
From the book:
“This satisfying combination of beef, pickled greens, and fragrant garlic chives is a staple at Dragon Phoenix Muslim Restaurant. The hole-in-the-wall spot on the main road in Sideng, in the Shaxi Valley, is the busiest eatery in town even though it has no fancy sign or inviting courtyard and sits a few steps down from the road, in view of any passing truck or motorbike. The owner, a middle-aged Hui woman, does all the cooking herself in a little alcove that is open to the street, preparing rich beef soups and quick stir-fries in a large wok built into the counter and fired by traditional cakes of pressed carbon and coal dust. Other family members help clear tables or prep vegetables in a small courtyard behind the kitchen.
This stir-fry is traditionally made with finely chopped beef, which the cook ages herself, hanging it on hooks on the back wall of the kitchen, but grass-fed ground beef has a similarly rich flavor. If using regular ground beef, add a little extra soy sauce to boost the umami.”
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 dried Thai chiles
2 garlic cloves, cut into thick slices
1 lb. ground or finely chopped beef (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 cup garlic chives cut into 1-inch pieces
2 heaping tbsp. Pickled Mustard Greens*
In a wok, heat the oil over a high flame until very hot. Add the chiles, garlic, and beef and stir-fry the mixture, stirring and flipping frequently and using a wok shovel to break up any large pieces of meat. When the meat begins to brown, add the soy sauce by pouring it across the side of the wok in an arc. Continue to stir-fry the mixture until the meat is fully browned. (If working on a regular stove, press the meat up against the side of the wok and let it sit for 30 seconds at a time to brown.) Add the garlic chives and Pickled Mustard Greens and stir-fry for another minute, until the chives have wilted slightly, then remove the mixture from the wok, draining o the oil.
*see hednote
Photo: Courtesy of @jamesisteating on Instagram
