Mala Spice Beef & Flat Bean Stirfry

Mala Spice Beef & Flat Bean Stirfry

What to do with your bargain beef cuts? Portion it into 250g steaks to start and either break it down for stir fry or keep it whole for steaks.

We find that these cuts are great with marinades, the long loose fibres really soak up the flavour. So have a steak night one night, slice the rest and marinate it, put in the fridge for a few days later. It’s only going to get better.

Then make this. Or something like this. I originally wrote it for snowpeas….but they had hit $30/kg. So, flat bean it is.

Ingredients:

• 300-500g Flank or Skirt Steak thinly sliced against the grain.

• 200g Flat Beans, top and tailed and cut into 5cm pieces

• 1-2 tbsp Confit Spice Oil

• 1 Onion, sliced thick

• Garlic to taste, sliced or minced

• 1 knob of Ginger, julienned

• A small bunch of spring onion, sliced diagonally

• Splashes of Shaoxing Wine as needed

• 1 tsp Mala Spice Salt Rub

• 2 tbsp Secret Weapon Soy

• 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce* or 1 tbsp Garlic & Black Bean Stir Fry Sauce

• 1 tbsp Corn starch mixed in 1/3 cup of water

• (optional)1 tbsp of Hot Fermented Honey poured over at the end for a little sweetness and gloss.

Method:

1. Combine your steak with the Mala Spice, 1tbsp each of Soy and Oyster Sauce. Cover & put in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes to a couple of days.

2. Put some rice on to cook.

3. Prepare your vegetables and aromatics. Ginger and garlic in one bowl, onion in another, snow peas in another. Get your beef out of the fridge. Haave your cornstarch mixture ready too.

4. Set up a wok over high heat, add 1 tbsp of Oil.

5. When the oil is smoking add your beef, don’t crowd the pan. Let it sear then move it. Once it has a good colour (hopefully quickly) remove the beef.

6. The wok may need cleaning, if it does use some hot water and wipe it out. Set it back over heat and dd the next table spoon of oil.

7. Throw in the onion and stir fry till softened.

8. Add aromatics, fry for 1 minute.

9. Add the flat beans, a splash of Shaoxing to cool the pan and fry till just softened a little but still crisp.

10. Add the beef back in, plus more oyster and soy, and add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until combined and glossy. Serve. Maybe with a sprinkle more Mala Spice

*We’ll write something on this soon. Essentially, look on the back for the percentage of oyster that’s actually in it — buy the one with the highest amount.