Chinese Pepper Steak

Serves 4

As with most stir-fry recipes, pepper steak is a quick, easy, healthy and delicious main dish that needs only rice as a side dish for a complete meal. See the Chinese-style rice in the similar and related recipes. I like to use both red and green peppers, but you can use one or the other. As for the steak, you want to use a lean and tender cut, such as top sirloin or tenderloin, thinly sliced and cooked very quickly.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably low-sodium
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pound lean beef steak, trimmed of visible fat and sliced into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 small onion, sliced into thin wedges, separated
• 3 thin slices peeled fresh ginger root

Place the sherry, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the steak strips and toss to coat. (Can be used immediately or refrigerated for several hours.)

Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat pan. Add the garlic, peppers and onions. Stir-fry until tender but still crisp, about 3 minutes. (If you prefer the vegetables more done, reduce the heat slightly and stir-fry a little longer.) Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Return the heat to high, adding a little more oil only if needed. Add the ginger and stir-fry just a few seconds, then add the steak. Stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Discard the ginger. Return the peppers to the pan and cook an additional minute. Serve immediately with plain cooked rice.

Notes: It is important when making a stir-fry to have all of the ingredients ready and close to the stove because the cooking process is so quick.