Beef, Shiitake, and Green Bean Stir Fry

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-24Sergi and I both really enjoy green beans and I serve them as a side dish almost every week. I decided to make them the star in a beef stir fry, which just happens to be my favorite protein to use. With just a few other simple ingredients, this dinner is just chock-full of flavor.

Stir frys hardly take any time at all to be cooked. Cutting and preparing all the ingredients takes more time than the actual cooking process, and since there aren’t that many ingredients, you can be sure that this dinner should be to on your menu for busy days. One of my biggest time savers is to cut up all the ingredients in advance and then it all comes together so quickly. The flavors are spot on and 50 times better than any take out you can ever get. 

Ingredients:

1 lb Beef sirloin or flank steak

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I really like Tamari)

1 1/2-2 Tablespoons oil

1 red onion, sliced

1 large bell pepper or 4-6 mini peppers, thinly sliced or julienned

7 oz (2 packages 3.5 oz each) shiitake mushrooms or 8 oz any other fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and green beans cut in half

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup chicken broth

green onions, to garnish

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup oyster sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (1 Tablespoon if it’s not reduced sodium)

2 teaspoon sherry (or mirin or rice vinegar)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions:

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-26To cut the beef into thin strips, it really helps to place it in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes, which will make it easier to cut. Cut the beef in half lengthwise, with the grain. Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-27Then slice each half of beef against the grain, into thin pieces, about 1/4-1/8 inch thin strips.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-28Marinate in 2 Tablespoons soy sauce. I really like the taste of Tamari. Set aside for 15 minutes, while prepping the rest of the ingredients.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-29Whenever you are making a stir fry, it’s important to have all your ingredients prepped before you start stir frying. Everything cooks so quickly, you won’t have time to be slicing and chopping in between. You can even prep all the ingredients earlier in the day, or even a few days in advance. Prepping all the ingredients actually takes more time than cooking them.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-30In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil on high heat.  Drain the beef and sauté on high heat in two batches for about 3 minutes, until the beef is spotty brown on one side. You will have some of the oil left each time, just add a bit more to the skillet if needed. Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-31Set the beef aside in a large bowl.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-33In the same skillet, add the onion and peppers. Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-32Saute on high heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Set aside with the beef.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-34Using the same skillet again, add another 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and add the shiitake mushrooms, cook for about 3 minutes. When prepping the shiitake mushrooms, cut off the mushroom stems and discard (or save them and use them in broth, etc.). The stems are too tough and woody and won’t become soft like the mushroom caps. Slice the mushrooms caps thinly.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-35

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-36Add the green beans, mix to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat, until the green beans are spotty brown. Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-37Make a space in the middle of the skillet and add the garlic and ginger, cooking for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-38Mix to combine and pour in 1/2 cup of chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium, cover the skillet and cook until most of the broth is absorbed and the beans are as tender as you like them.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-39Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients together.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-41When the beans are cooked through, pour in the sauce into the skillet, increase the heat to high and cook for just a few minutes until the sauce thickens up.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-42Return the beef, onion and peppers to the skillet, mix to combine and just heated through.

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-43

Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-44Serve with noodles or rice. Garnish with green onions.Beef, Shitake and Green Bean Stir Fry-1-25

Beef, Shiitake, and Green Bean Stir Fry
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Beef sirloin or flank steak
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I really like Tamari)
  • 1½-2 Tablespoons oil
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1 large bell pepper or 4-6 mini peppers, thinly sliced or julienned
  • 7 oz (2 packages 3.5 oz each) shiitake mushrooms or 8 oz any other fresh mushrooms
  • 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and green beans cut in half
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • green onions, to garnish
Sauce:
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (1 Tablespoon if it's not reduced sodium)
  • 2 teaspoon sherry (or mirin or rice vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
  1. To cut the beef into thin strips, it really helps to place it in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes, which will make it easier to cut. Cut the beef in half lengthwise, with the grain. Then slice each half of beef against the grain, into thin pieces, about ¼-1/8 inch thin strips.
  2. Marinate in 2 Tablespoons soy sauce. I really like the taste of Tamari. Set aside for 15 minutes, while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
  3. In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat ½ Tablespoon of oil on high heat. Drain the beef and sauté on high heat in two batches for about 3 minutes, until the beef is spotty brown on one side. You will have some of the oil left each time, just add a bit more to the skillet if needed. Set the beef aside in a large bowl.
  4. In the same skillet, add the onion and peppers. Saute on high heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Set aside with the beef.
  5. Using the same skillet again, add another ½ Tablespoon of oil and add the shiitake mushrooms, cook for about 3 minutes.
  6. Add the green beans, mix to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat, until the green beans are spotty brown.
  7. Make a space in the middle of the skillet and add the garlic and ginger, cooking for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  8. Mix to combine and pour in ½ cup of chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium, cover the skillet and cook until most of the broth is absorbed and the beans are as tender as you like them. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients together. When the beans are cooked through, pour in the sauce into the skillet, increase the heat to high and cook for just a few minutes until the sauce thickens up.
  9. Return the beef, onion and peppers to the skillet, mix to combine and just heated through.
  10. Serve with noodles or rice. Garnish with green onions.

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