5 spice beef stir fry
We officially have a new favorite seasoning in our little household, it’s Chinese 5 spice powder. This combination of Szechwan pepper, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, salt and white pepper smells like Christmas morning, but when you put it on something it gives it this spicy, yet cinnamon taste. In other words, heavenly. I had printed out a recipe that required this spice a long time ago and one day when we were putting together our meal plan we saw the recipe and decided to try it. It quickly became a regular in our kitchen. You can use any type of veggie you prefer. The original recipe had bok choy and sugar snap peas in it but that didn’t sound appealing to me. Give it a try. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
5 spice beef stir fry
1 pound flank steak, chopped into small slices
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper
1 onion
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons oil (whatever you have on hand is fine)
Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, 5 spice powder and red pepper flakes in a bowl and whisk together. Place your beef in a zip top bag, pour the marinade in, close the bag and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
While that is marinading, julienne your onion and bell pepper.
Remove the beef from the marinade. (Don’t throw the marinade out!) Pour the remaining liquid into a bowl and add the cornstarch. Set aside.
Put about a tablespoon of oil in your saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot add the meat. Cook for a couple of minutes stirring often until it is brown. Remove the beef and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil and add the onion and pepper. Cook until tender. Put the beef back in the pan with the veggies and pour in the marinade. Cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thick.
Serve over rice or noodles.