Pre-sliced beef is the key to keeping both the prep time and cook time short. Sold as yakiniku or sukiyaki cut, the beef slices are neatly arranged on trays.
I don’t know what the commercial practices are in your part of the world but, where I live, sukiyaki cut is understood to be thinner than yakiniku cut. That’s because the two cuts are meant for different cooking methods. Sukiyaki-cut is for the hot pot while yakiniku-cut is for the grill.
For this recipe, however, you may use either. They are both sliced thinly enough so that a short cooking time is required. But, before the recipe, a few tips on choosing your beef.
First, while designations lie sukiyaki-cut and yakiniku-cut means you get thin slices of beef similar to bacon rashers, it is even better if you know from which part of the animal was cut. You want a tender cut.
Stewing cuts like brisket or neck may be sliced thinly and sold as yakiniku-cut but they are much tougher than bottoms and rounds. Remember that meat from the parts of the animal that don’t get plenty of physical activity are the most tender (loins and short plate, for example). Meanwhile meat from parts that get a lot of exercise are tougher (think beef shank).
Second, choose meat well-marbled with fat. That fat not only adds flavor to the cooked dish — it also keeps the lean portions of the meat moist and tender.
Now, about the bok choy… Why bok choy tips only? What about the leafy portion of the vegetable? The tips are tough enough to withstand the high temperature that stir frying requires. The leaves wither and shrivel.
What I do is cut each stalk to separate the leafy portion from the ligher-colored stalk. The leaves are used in some other dish (often, a soup) while the tips go into the stir fry pan.
Ingredients
- 300 grams sukiyaki cut beef
- ¾ teaspoon refined salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 half-inch knob ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 small carrot peeled and julienned
- 1 small onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cups bok choy tips cut into half-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ to ¾ cup bone broth well seasoned (see notes)
- toasted sesame seeds
- sesame seed oil
Instructions
- Cut the beef into half-inch wide strips.
- Place the beef in a bowl. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, ginger and starch. Mix well. Cover and leave in the fridge while you prepare the vegetables.
- Set a wok or thick-bottomed frying pan on the stove over high heat. Pour in the cooking oil and swirl.
- Spread the beef on the hot oil. Cook without disturbing for a minute or so. Stir, breaking up lumps, and stir fry for another minute.
- Add the julienned carrot and sliced onion. Stir fry for half a minute.
- Add the bok choy stalks. Stir well.
- Pour in the soy sauce and half cup of bone broth. Sprinkle in the sugar. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy. If you want a thinner sauce, pour in the remaining quarter cup of bone broth.
- Taste. Adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Off the heat, drizzle in the sesame seed oil and toss everything to blend.
- Sprinkle the beef and bok choy stir fry with toasted sesame seeds before serving.
