Basil Asparagus Beef (紫蘇蘆筍牛肉, Zi2 Sou1 Lou4 Seon2 Ngau4 Juk6)

This recipe is a variation on a Chinese-American standard - here’s my recipe for this classic:  Cashew Asparagus Beef (腰果蘆筍牛肉, Jiu¹ Gwo² Lou⁴ Seon² Ngau⁴ Juk⁶). I never thought that mixing asparagus and basil would work together in a dish because I thought that the flavors would clash. Well, I was wrong since the taste combination is actually pretty tasty.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Beef flank or flap meat (牛肉, ngau4 juk6) sliced thinly against the grain
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Asparagus (蘆筍, lou4 seon2), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths
8 oz.	227 g.	Fried tofu (魚豆腐, jyu4 dau6 fu6) – 1 package
¼ cup	60 ml.	Fresh basil leaves (紫蘇, zi2 sou1), loosely packed
1	1	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung4 ziu1), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), minced finely
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), minced finely
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Laoganma Black Bean Chili Sauce (黑豆辣椒油, hak1 dau6 laat6 ziu1 jau4) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (hoi2 sin1 zoeng3, 海鮮醬)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (siu6 hing1 zau2, 紹興酒) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (baak6 wu4 ziu1, 白胡椒)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (maa4 jau4, 麻油)
½ Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (suk1 fan2, 粟粉)
1 Tbs.	30 ml.	Water

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

1. Cut the beef flank or flap meat thinly against the grain and put into a bowl. Cutting the beef against the grain makes it easier to eat (if cut with the grain, the beef would be stringy and difficult to eat). Add the baking soda to the beef, allow to tenderize for 10 minutes, and then wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
2. Marinate the beef for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the beef overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Wash and cut the asparagus into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths.
4. Wash and cut the ends off the red bell pepper, resulting in a cylinder. Make a cut to open the cylinder, flatten it forming a rectangle, and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) wide strips.
5. Open the fried tofu package and discard any liquid.
6. Wash and remove the leaves from the fresh basil stalks.
7. Finely mince the ginger and garlic, place into a small bowl, and mix all the ingredients in the bowl together.
8. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the black bean chili sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the beef to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the beef in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Set the beef aside in a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then remove them to the bowl with the beef.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the red bell pepper. Stir fry the red bell pepper to brown them and then remove them to the bowl with the beef.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the asparagus. Stir fry the asparagus to brown them before adding the bowl containing the beef back into the wok. Mix all the ingredients together.
5. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.