Flying Greens with Beef in Oyster Sauce

The legend of flying greens involves shooting flames and greens on fire — this stir-fry skips the drama but keeps the quick, high-heat cooking.

March 14, 2018

Reprinted with permission from Pure Beef: An Essential Guide to Artisan Meat with Recipes for Every Cut (Echo Point Books & Media, 2017) by Lynne Curry. Bok choy is crisp and tender, with leaves and stems that cook at different times — keep them separate. Eye of round and top sirloin work well as substitutes for stir-fry beef.

What you'll need

Ingredients

1 ounce dried Shiitake mushrooms
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 3/4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and very finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
3/4 to 1 pound stir fry beef, or top round steak sliced into 1/4 x 1/4-inch strips about 2 inches long
1 1/2 pounds bok choy, stems and leaves separated and chopped (about 6 cups total)
2 dried whole red chile peppers, optional

Method

Directions

1
Bring a teakettle of water to a boil. Put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Discard the tough stems from the mushrooms, slice the caps very thin, and set them aside.
2
Whisk the cornstarch with the soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid in a small bowl.
3
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4
Add the beef and stir-fry just until it is no longer pink. Push it to the outer perimeters of the pan and add the stems of the bok choy to the center where the heat is concentrated. Stir continuously until the bok choy is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
5
Add the bok choy leaves, reserved mushroom caps, and chiles, if using, and stir for one minute. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir until the sauce is bubbling and slicks the greens and beef well. Serve immediately.