Cumin Beef

INGREDIENTS for 2 large servings

Meat department

• Beef, sliced or fajita strips - 1 lb

Produce department

• Ginger, 1/4" thick slices - 5

• Red pepper, fresh - 2, cross slice (or dried - 2)

• Onion, medium - 1/2, julienned

• Green onion - 4, cut to 2" pieces, separate the "white" and the "green"

Spice rack

• Salt - 1/4 tsp

• Cumin, ground - 1/2 + 2 tbsp

Condiments aisle

• Olive oil - 1 + 2 tbsp

International aisle

• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

Specialty item

• Michiu (Taiwanese "Honbiou" cooking rice wine) - 1 tsp + 3 tbsp

DIRECTIONS

1. Marinade the beef for 30 mins or longer. For thicker pieces like fajita strips, marinade 1 day in advance for the best result.

Marinade: 

1. • Salt - 1/4 tsp

   • Cumin, ground - 1/2 tbsp

   • Michiu - 1 tsp

   • Olive oil - 1 tbsp

2. In a sauté or frying pan, heat a little olive oil (1/2 tbsp) over high heat. Sauté the beef until medium done. Strain out and discard the liquid and set the cooked beef aside.

3. In the same pan, heat olive oil (2 tbsp) over medium heat. Add ginger slices and cook until the edges are brown. Add fresh red pepper slices or dried whole red pepper (2). Sauté until fragrant.

4. Change the heat to high. Stir in the julienned onion and the white part of the green onions. Keep stirring and cook until both are soft.

5. Add the beef back in the pan, followed by soy sauce (2 tbsp) and cumin powder (2 tbsp). Stir everything together.

6. As the sauce boils, add michiu (3 tbsp). Adjust the heat as needed to keep the liquid at a light boil to cooked off the alcohol and reduce the sauce.

7. Turn off the heat and add the green part of the green onion. Stir well. The residual heat should be enough to draw out additional fragrance and flavor.

8. Serve with rice or as a shared dish.

NOM NOM CHOMP!

NOTES

• The same dish is often made with lamb also.