JeanMarie Brownson: Stir-fry is easy to make at home once you have all the ingredients

JeanMarie Brownson, Tribune Content Agency on Apr 8, 2024

Serving:

12 moo shu wrappers, or thin flour tortillas or crepes

1. For sauce, put all ingredients into a small dish. Add 1/4 cup water. Mix well.

2. For the stir-fry, pound the steak on a cutting board with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a very sharp knife to thinly slice the steak, across the grain, into thin matchsticks. Cut green onions crosswise into 2-inch lengths. Cut the pieces into thin matchsticks

3. Prepare the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, cilantro, garlic and ginger. If using, beat the eggs together in a small bowl. Have all the ingredients near the cooking surface. Put the moo shu wrappers in a covered microwave-safe dish or wrap in plastic wrap.

4. Heat a wok or large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle on contact. Add 1 tablespoon oil, then add the beaten eggs. Scramble with a heatproof spatula until soft curds form, then remove to a plate.

5. Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the pan. Increase the heat under the pan to medium-high. Add 1/3 of the beef and stir-fry until browned and golden on the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef adding more oil as needed.

6. Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic and ginger; stir-fry 1 minute. Add the cabbage, carrots and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the beef to the pan along with the sauce. Cook and stir until hot. Add cooked eggs, green onions and bean sprouts. Stir briefly. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cilantro.

7. Microwave the wrappers on high (100% powder) until hot, about 1 minute. Serve beef mixture with wrappers. Roll up and serve.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)