Beef With Snap/ Snow Peas

I have many dear Asian friends who would not be happy with the "Americanized" version of the classic stir fry.  So if you are one of my dear Asian friends reading this, please look away and do not hate me.  Now, for the rest of us who have ever gotten a craving for "Asian take-out" without having to go out, this will definitely satisfy. With a few simple ingredients you are only a few moments away from getting "take-out" while you "stay in"!

1 1/2 lbs of flank steak cut into "stir-fry" sized pieces. You can cut the beef however you like.

I forgot to take a picture of the soy sauce mixture but anyways, put 6 tbsp of the soy sauce mixture in to the meat...

...and give it a good toss. You can marinade this overnight or set it aside while you prep everything else. 

The snap peas will have a thread that will need to be removed (in most cases). You will need to remove it from both sides as I have shown you here. Start from the tip and work your way along to the other side.

My nail polish is "Espresso Your Style" by OPI in case you were wondering :)

Grab half of an onion (yellow is what I used) and slice it thin

Heat your non-stick skillet with oil on HIGH heat and heat up your peas for about 1 min, just long enough to get some color. Set the peas aside.

Now that your peas are set aside add the meat and while you are on HIGH or MED HIGH heat, sear the meat on both sides, ie, leave it alone so that it develops a nice brown color.  

BROWN=FLAVOR

Flip and repeat

With your last batch of meat, after it is browned, add the onions and give some tosses. The onions will grab all that lovely crusty residue and impart some flavor into them. Do this for about 30 sec or so...

...then and the remainder of the meat and its collected juices, the rest of the soy sauce mixture and peas and give a good stir so that everything is incorporated and keep it on Med heat for about 30 sec. At this point, if you decide your mixture is too thick, add some water. I ended up adding 1-2 tbsp of additional water.

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Beef With Snap/ Snow Peas

FEEDS 4

1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into stir-fry strips
3 tbsp regular oil (or use peanut oil for a more Asian flavor)
8 oz fresh washed snap peas, trimmed (some call them snow peas)
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin or use 5-6 green onions chopped

1/4 cup water may be needed if mixture is too thick
2 Cups Uncooked rice of your choice, cooked according to package directions, I used Basmati

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, wine, cornstarch, brown sugar and ginger. Add the beef to a separate bowl and pour 6 tbsp of the mixture over the top. Save the rest of the liquid. Toss the beef and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the snap/snow peas and stir for 1 min and get some color on them if possible. Remove to a plate.

Allow the skillet to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture and if some marinade comes along, that's OK too. Spread out the meat as you add it to skillet, but do not stir for a good minute. You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible. BROWN=FLAVOR! Remove to a plate and repeat with the other batch(es) of meat. 

With your last batch of meat, after it is browned, add the onions and give some tosses. The onions will grab all that lovely crusty residue and impart some flavor into them.  Do this for about 30 sec or so and then add the remainder of the meat and its collected juices, the rest of the soy sauce mixture and peas and give a good stir so that everything is incorporated and keep it on Med heat for about 30 sec. You will see the mixture begin to thicken and caramelize slightly. If it is too thick, add some water 1 tbsp at a time until you get a consistency your happy with.  I ended up adding 3-4 tbsp of water. 

Serve with rice of your choice and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman on Food Network