My wife recently informed me that our meals could benefit from a few more vegetables. Fair enough.
The challenge is that my usual approach to green beans involves blanching them, adding a little olive oil and garlic powder, and calling it a day. I needed another way to work them into dinner.
I've always been a fan of beef stir fry. The rest of the family, not so much. Their complaint is usually the same: the beef is too chewy. So this time I decided to stack the deck in my favor and used beef tenderloin, better known as filet mignon.
A quick side note: if your family has expensive taste but your budget doesn't always cooperate, Costco is your friend. You can buy a whole beef tenderloin, trim it yourself, and cut beautiful 8-ounce filets for around $12 each. Around here, that's often less expensive than buying sirloin at the grocery store.
The result was a surprisingly big hit. The beef stayed incredibly tender, the green beans added a nice crunch, and the sauce brought just enough heat to keep things interesting without overwhelming the dish.
By the end of dinner, there were no complaints about vegetables and very few leftovers.
Ingredients
1 lb flank steak, flat iron steak, sirloin, or beef tenderloin, sliced thin against the grain
3 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
1 onion, sliced
5–6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
Optional: 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Fresh green onions or parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for 2–3 minutes, then transfer immediately to ice water. Drain well.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook the beef in batches if necessary so the pan does not overcrowd. Sear until browned, then remove and set aside.
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In the same skillet, cook the onion for about 2 minutes.
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Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
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Add the green beans and stir-fry until lightly blistered and tender-crisp.
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Return the beef to the skillet.
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Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and chili flakes.
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If using the cornstarch mixture, add it during the final minute and toss until the sauce lightly coats the beef and beans.
Finish with a splash of rice vinegar or fresh lime juice.
Garnish with green onions or parsley and serve immediately over jasmine rice.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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