PEPPER AND TAPA STIR FRY

Growing up, and to this day, my mom’s go-to recipe for quick meals was pepper steak…she used to call it “Thai beef”. Only when I started working in a commercial kitchen, right out of culinary school, did I find out that what she calls “Thai Beef”, was in fact this Chinese-American dish that has been popular since the 1950s.

I have been missing this dish since I started my own family because -- as is with most kids -- my spawns hate vegetables! Today, in honor of my childhood and my mother, I am reviving this recipe and adding a few tweaks to make it my own.

First, and most importantly, get that rice cooker going! You’re gonna want to have fresh cooked rice to serve with this dish!

In a small mixing bowl, combine:

2 Tbsp cornstarch,

2 Tbsp soy sauce,

2 Tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce, and

a cup of beef stock (or water).

*Tip - you can add about a tablespoon of sugar into this mix to make your stir fry a bit sweet. Set this aside for now.

Heat a wok with a few swirls of cooking oil. Cook slices of Prime Angus Beef Tapa in batches for a few minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Swirl some more oil (about a tablespoon) into the wok and add 2 chopped bell peppers, and 1 chopped onion. Saute until crisp tender about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in 3 cloves minced garlic, a tablespoon of grated ginger and 1-2 chopped chilis (if you want a spicy kick) and saute until fragrant.

Add the cooked tapa, along with its juices, back into the pan. Quickly mix the sauce mixture to make sure the cornstarch is distributed evenly, then pour this into the wok.

Simmer while stirring until the sauce thickens and coats the back of your spatula, about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings by adding salt and pepper to your taste. Then remove from the heat.

Serve with your rice, which should be done by now, and enjoy!