digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Make a 20-minute Beef and Green Bean Stir Fry using pre-made Chinese garlic marinade, instant rice, high heat, and pairing it with Baron Herzog Old Vine Zinfandel. The recipe is a fast, gourmet-tasting weeknight meal that can be prepped while the rice cooks.
Key Points
- Multitasking is the core method: start the instant rice while the steak marinates and vegetables are prepped, so everything finishes together.
- Pre-made ingredients save time, including the jarred Chinese garlic marinade and frozen crushed garlic cubes (two cubes equal two cloves).
- High heat is key: sear the steak for about 30 seconds per side and cook the green beans for about 5 minutes to keep them crisp.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Slice skirt steak (about 1 and 1/4 pounds) against the grain in diagonal, long strips using short, quick knife strokes. Leave the fat on for flavor unless there is a large hanging piece.
- Pour about 1 cup of Chinese garlic marinade over the steak, mix with your hands, and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Trim the stem end off the green beans and trim the tip off the scallions; cut the scallions diagonally. Use about two scallions for four servings.
- Boil 3 cups of water with salt, add 3 cups of instant rice, cover, remove from heat, and let sit about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan until nearly smoking. Add the steak, leaving the marinade behind, and brown both sides on high heat for about 30 seconds per side.
- Add the green beans and cook about 5 minutes on high heat, then add the garlic and finish the stir fry.
- Plate the rice on a platter, top with the stir fry, and garnish with fresh scallion and sesame seeds.
- The recipe is described as serving about four people.
- The garlic cubes are sold in the freezer section and are presented as a time saver that avoids chopping and garlic odor on hands.
- The speaker says the full process from prep to serving takes about 20 minutes.
Bottom Line
A fast, kosher-friendly beef stir fry that relies on pre-made marinade, frozen garlic, instant rice, and high heat to finish in about 20 minutes, with a suggested Zinfandel pairing.
