Spicy Shredded Beef

Adapted from Main Courses 365, edited by Jenni Fleetwood

serves 2-3

8 oz rump or fillet of beef
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 tsp brown sugar
6 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, julienned
1-2 carrots, julenned
2-3 fresh or dried chillies
salt and ground black pepper to taste
fresh chives to garnish

My Modifications:
I used an 8oz sirloin tip steak for my meat.
Instead of using 1 Tbsp of both light and dark soy sauce, I opted for 2 Tbsp of dark.
I reduced the oil by half and used a combination of sesame oil and canola oil.
Onions in the grocery store nowadays are HUGE! I only used used half of one.
The chili of choice was a fresno.
I omitted the chives, salt (it was already pretty sodium heavy with the soy sauce) and ground pepper.

The Process:
With a sharp knife, slice the meat very thinly and then cut each slice into thin strips

Mix the soy sauce, rice wine and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the meat and stir to coat. Set aside

Heat a wok or skillet on med-high heat, add half of the oil, and saute the onions and ginger for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the carrots to the wok and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove, and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok or skillet and add the beef with marinade as well as the chilies. Cook, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes.

Return the onion and ginger mixture to the wok and stir until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dishes and top with carrots and fresh chives (if using).

The Review:
It was well liked by both Ross and myself. The dominate taste was of beef and ginger, reaffirming my choice to use only half of the onion instead of a whole. I could have sliced the beef into much thinner strips. For future thinly sliced beef ventures, I'll make more of an attempt to slice along the grain instead of across. I'm glad I omitted the extra salt; and the ground pepper wasn't really missed. The heat could have been much more substantial...I'll probably opt for a chili higher on the scoville heat scale next time, or throw in a few of the seeds and pith.

Without the carrots and by using a Splenda substitute in lieu of brown sugar, this entree could pass for phase one of South Beach. And given how quick and easy it was to prepare, we'll probably be seeing this dish again!