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Spicy Beef with Tomato and Basil

(recipe, Martin Yan)

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Introduction

What's simpler than tender flank steak, stir-fried with tomato wedges and red chiles, and served over a bed of Chinese broccoli? In my book, simplicity in the cooking is simply good cooking.

Ingredients

1. 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2. ½ cup sliced onion
3. 2 tsp. minced garlic
4. 2 small dried red chiles, seeded
5. ¾ lb. beef flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
6. ½ cup Thai or sweet basil leaves
7. 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
8. 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
9. 8 oz. Chinese broccoli, trimmed, blanched, and cut into 2-inch sections

Sauce

1. 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2. 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3. 1 Tbsp. sugar
4. 2 tsp. sesame oil

Steps

1. To make sauce, in a bowl combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.
2. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add onion, garlic, and chiles; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and stir-fry until barely pink, 1½ to 2 minutes.
3. Add basil, tomatoes, and sauce; mix well.
4. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.
5. Transfer to a platter; arrange broccoli around the beef and serve.

Note

Editor's note: Steam some rice while you're blanching the broccoli and making the stir-fry, and you've got a full meal ready to go.