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Szechuan Beef and Celery

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes, plus time to freeze the beef

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beef flank or sirloin steak
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, both chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh hot chile (like jalapeño or Thai)
  • 1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce or red or brown miso
  • 1 teaspoon crushed Szechuan peppercorns or five-spice blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or other sweetener
  • 1 large bunch celery, leaves and stalks separated, both chopped

Instructions

  1. If you have time, put the steak in the freezer for 10 or 20 minutes while you get the other ingredients ready. Slice the meat across the grain as thin as you can. Put a large, deep skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl it around, and add the beef. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef browns all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet, swirl it around, then add the white parts of the scallions, the ginger, chile, sweet bean sauce, peppercorns, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until fragrant, no more than 1 minute. Add the syrup and 1/2 cup water and stir until a sauce forms, just 30 seconds or so.
  3. Add the celery stalks to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re brightly colored and the pan is almost dry, 1 or 2 minutes. Return the beef to the skillet along with the scallion greens and celery leaves. Stir to combine, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

—Recipe from The VB6 Cookbook

Recipe variations

Beef and Celery Stir-Fry with Soy Sauce Skip the sweet bean sauce, Schezuan peppercorns, and chile. In Step 2, add 1 tablespoon minced garlic. When you add the water in Step 3, stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce and the juice of 1 lemon.

Sweet-and-Sour Beef and Celery Stir-Fry Sweet-and-Sour flavor with real ingredients. Follow the variation above, except instead of the lemon juice use 2 tablespoons rice vinegar. When you add the celery in Step 3, toss in 2 cups diced fresh pineapple.