SEATTLE —
Stir-Fried Beef with Fresh Herbs Lettuce Cups
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
This quick and simple stir-fry is our adaptation of a recipe from “Cooking South of the Clouds” by Georgia Freedman. The dish is from southern Yunnan province in China, an area along the border with Myanmar and Laos. Freedman calls for fiery Thai chiles, but we opt for milder Fresno’s or jalapeños that are easier to find and have a more modest heat level, making it easier to control the spice level. If you'd like more chili heat, simply leave the seeds in the chilies. Serve the stir-fry with rice or spoon it into lettuce cups.
Don't use extra-lean ground beef. A little fat keeps the meat moist, adds flavor and brings out the aromas of the herbs.
—Julia Rackow
Have ready:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar
- 1 small bowl
- 1 small whisk
Have ready:
- Hot plate with a 12-inch nonstick skillet.
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 pound 80 to 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 wooden spoon or silicon spatula
Have ready:
- 3 Fresno or jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
Have ready:
- 1½ cups lightly packed fresh mint, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Have ready:
- Serving plates
- Butter or similar lettuce leaves suitable as lettuce cups
- Thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
- 1 pound 80 to 85 percent lean ground beef
- 3 Fresno or jalapeño chilies, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- 1½ cups lightly packed fresh mint, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Directions:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch and sugar. Set aside. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces, until mostly browned but some pink still remains, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the chilies and soy sauce mixture, then cook, stirring, until no pink remains and the meat is evenly coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint and cilantro.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.