Pops De Milk

I picked up a package of stir-fry beef at the store only because it had a sticker on it that said it was two dollars off. Jay looked dubious and all I could think was, “Score!”

Last night, I was supposed to have served the stir-fry with our wilting bok choy but I completely forgot and I’m very sad about that because steamed bok choy with a hint of salt and garlic is absolutely fabulous. But no matter, the beef stir-fry was yummy and super sweet. Maybe even a tad too sweet near the end but delicious nonetheless. I served it over top of soft, sticky white rice. It only came out sticky because I got impatient and I didn’t let all the water get absorbed before I stirred the rice in the pot.

For the teriyaki sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup white wine or dry sherry or sake

Approx 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Approx 1 tsp garlic powder

Beef cut into strips

Approx 2 or 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables (I used No Name brand “Oriental Mix”)

I was too lazy to mince fresh garlic and ginger, hence why I used powder. Mix all those ingredients together in a bowl and add the beef. Let it soak for at least an hour. I used about 400g of beef but I think the marinade should be enough for 800g. Yes, my little beef strips were swimming in the sauce. Once the beef is ready, heat some canola or sunflower oil in a pot/pan/wok. I also added a small splash of sesame oil because I love the smell and the faint flavour it gives to food. Dump the beef and marinade into the pot/pan/wok and cook on high until beef is almost cooked through, then add the frozen vegetables. Continue to cook until everything is heated. I wanted a thick sauce to pour over everything so I removed the beef and vegetables from the pot and I boiled the sauce to reduce it. It wasn’t looking very thick so I sprinkled some cornstarch straight from the box. Big mistake. What I should have done was to mix the cornstarch in a bit of water first and then pour that into the sauce and maybe then I wouldn’t have ended up with a bunch of little white balls floating in the sauce. I whisked and whisked hoping the cornstarch would disintegrate but it didn’t. When the sauce eventually thickened I poured it through a strainer to remove the balls of cornstarch. I put the beef and vegetables back in the pot with the sauce to coat before serving.