Cooking on Orange Street: Chinese Beef Stir-Fry

For dinner with mom, Chef K and I thought it would be nice to cook for her -- a first! As she napped on the couch, we schemed what would be easy yet delicious. In end, what else but Chef K's famed beef stir-fry! We've had it a bunch of times, and considering how easy it is, it's perfect for last-minute meals, whether you're by yourself or expecting guests.

For this dish, you basically need 1-1.25 pounds of beef sirloin, plus any of your favorite veggies. This particular time we used about 10 small mushrooms, one red pepper, a handful of snap peas and half an onion, plus garlic, ginger and one jalapeno for seasoning and scallions to garnish.

First, cut all the veggies. Then, cut sections of meat and pound them thin before cutting them into shreds. Marinate the shredded meat with soy sauce, cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, rice wine and a touch of sesame oil -- just enough so all the meat is coated. (The cornstarch here is key because it will keep the meat moist in the pan.) Stir-fry the veggies until almost done, then remove from the pan and replace with the beef. When the beef is almost done, put the veggies back in and add final seasonings such as the scallion and a touch of salt, lime juice and sambal (for an extra little kick in case the jalapeno wasn't enough, which that night, it wasn't). Result: deliciousness!