As a person of fat kid experience, I have a lot of humiliating behaviors and anecdotes that I would happily take to the grave. One that my mother likes to dredge up every now and then is how I used to ask why every ingredient in Chinese dishes had to be cut up into such tiny pieces before cooking.
– jeffrey
“Because you were so fat, you wanted big bites of everything. Especially meat!”
Her insightful analysis aside, I think my question was more born out of a comparison with how most Western-style dinners were presented: a large piece of meat accompanied by completely separate sides. The discreteness felt more refined, and it allowed little fatties like me to have our much desired mouthful of meat (foreshadowing my future social life).
But Chinese cooking operates under a different set of principles. Finely sliced and diced ingredients intermix more consistently, resulting in a balanced bite every time. Smaller pieces also cook much faster, which preserves more of the natural tastes and textures of the ingredients. Lastly, it’s literally impossible to eat a big ole’ steak with chopsticks.
I used to think these kinds of Chinese dishes were chaotic and unsatisfying. Maybe I was worried about my daily protein intake goal. Maybe I just secretly wanted to go to Boston Market. Whatever the reason was, as I’ve grown older and wiser (and thinner), I’ve learned to appreciate these harmonious medleys.
Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cook time: <5 minutes | Total cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the stir fry
- 1/2 pounds of top round beef (can also use flank steak, top sirloin)
- 1 package of five-spice bean curd (typically 8 ounces)
- 3 scallions
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
For the marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shao xing wine (optional)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
Directions
Slice the beef into thin strips and combine with the ingredients of the marinade. Let stand four ~10 minutes. In the meantime, shred the bean curd into similar size strips and slice the scallion into one-inch segments (cut them in half again vertically if the scallions are particularly large).
Heat up the vegetable oil in a wok or non-stick pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the beef and stir quickly so that all sides brown evenly. When most of the redness has cooked out of the meat, add the bean curd, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili oil. Sauté for 2 minutes (adding the scallions in the last minute).