Thai Beef Stir-Fry

ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut about 3/4 inch thick
1 cup catsup
1/3 cup fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 medium carrots
4 green onions
1 medium red sweet pepper
2 medium cucumbers
1 cup beef broth
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
4 cups hot cooked rice
Julienne carrot strips (optional)
Green onion tops (optional)


directions

Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice across the grain into bite-size strips. Combine catsup, fish sauce or soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice in a bowl. Add beef strips, tossing to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the carrots; cut the green onions into 1/2-inch pieces; cut the red sweet pepper into thin bite-size strips; and cut the cucumbers in half, remove the seeds, and thinly slice. Drain beef, reserving marinade. Stir broth, ginger, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper into reserved marinade; set aside.

Pour oil into wok or large skillet. (Add more oil, if necessary, during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add carrots, stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add green onion, cucumber, and sweet pepper; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from wok.

Add half of the beef to the hot wok or skillet. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove beef from wok; set aside. Stir-fry remaining beef. Return all beef to wok. Stir the broth mixture. Add to the wok; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in vegetables. Heat through. Stir chopped peanuts into hot rice. Serve beef and vegetables over rice mixture. If desired, garnish with carrot strips and green onion tops, cut into strips (soak the strips in cold water so they curl). Makes 8 servings.

Note: Before slicing the carrots, use a zester to make the long strips that garnish this sizzling main dish.

Zesting the carrots also creates the pretty ridge-shape slices