Beef with Snow Peas

Beef with Snow Peas is a classic 30-minute Chinese stir-fry that belongs in every home cook's weeknight rotation. Tender, savory slices of marinated flank steak meet crisp, sweet snow peas in a glossy, umami-rich sauce.

Prep Time25

Cook Time5

Total Time30

Course: Beef

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

For the beef:

12 ounces flank steak (sliced ⅛-inch/3mm thick into 2-3 inch/6-7cm pieces)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
¼ teaspoon baking soda

For the rest of the dish:

½ cup warm water (or beef stock or chicken stock)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (or mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce if you have it)
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon sugar
10 ounces snow peas (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil, divided)
2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef, oyster sauce, water, cornstarch, oil, and baking soda. Mix to evenly coat the beef, and set aside for 20 minutes (or overnight, if making ahead).
Then prepare the sauce mixture. In a measuring cup, mix the warm water (or stock), light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.
To process your snow peas, pick off the tough stem end, and remove the fibrous string along the length of the pea. Do the same from the other end, so that the strings on both sides of the snow pea are removed. Wash the snow peas and drain.
Heat your wok over high heat until it's lightly smoking. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the perimeter to coat. Add the beef, and use your metal wok spatula to spread it in one even layer. Sear for 1 minute. Turn the beef to sear the other side for another 30 seconds. Stir-fry. At this point, the beef should be about 90% done. Turn off the heat and remove the beef from the wok.
Next, with the heat back on high, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic. Cook for 10 seconds, and add the Shaoxing wine, followed by the snow peas. Stir-fry on the highest heat for 30 seconds. Stir in the prepared sauce mixture and add the beef back to the wok. Gather everything in the center of the wok.
When everything comes back up to a simmer and the sides of the wok begin to super-heat, stir-fry everything in a circular motion so the beef and snow peas hit the sides of the wok. Pour the cornstarch slurry in the center of the wok while stirring. Stir everything together for another 20 seconds to coat everything in the sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutrition