Wok-fried Black Pepper Beef and Celery makes great supper
This quick-cooking dish makes a great weeknight supper.
In short order, shallot and garlic are caramelized, and they come together with a touch of sweetness.
Many recipes call for freshly ground black pepper, but a cook who has pepper on hand that’s already ground might reach for that instead. Here, grinding whole peppercorns is a must. The gia vi spice blend — especially popular in northern Vietnamese cooking — used in this recipe calls for no special ingredients. Serve this dish on its own or atop vermicelli rice noodles.
RECIPE Wok-fried Black Pepper Beef and Celery
Adapted from The Vietnamese Market Cookbook, by Van Tran and Anh Vu (Running Press, 2014) 2 medium cloves garlic
½ small shallot
½ tsp (2.5 mL) gia vi*
1 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil 8 oz (226 g) boneless rib-eye steak or sirloin steak
3 medium ribs celery A few tender cilantro stems with leaves, for garnish
Makes 2 servings Crush the garlic and then mince it, along with the shallot. Whisk together half of the garlic-shallot mixture, gia vi, the pepper, sugar and 2 tsp (10 mL) of the oil in a wide, shallow baking dish. Trim visible fat from the meat, then cut the meat into short, very thin slices, placing it in the dish as you work. Turn all the pieces over so they are evenly coated; let them sit for 15 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, cut the celery crosswise into ½-in (1.3-cm) slices. Heat the remaining oil in a wok or deep-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the sides, then add the remaining garlic-shallot mixture; stir-fry just until fragrant, making sure the garlic does not burn. Add the beef and its marinade; stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, then add the celery; stir-fry just until the celery is coated and glistening yet still crisp, and some of the pieces of meat have just begun to caramelize. Divide between wide, shallow bowls; garnish with the cilantro.
Serve right away. * To make the gia vi spice blend, combine 1/4 tsp (1 mL) sugar, 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) fine sea salt, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) garlic powder.