Community recipe

Thai Beef with Peppers

Name: Thai Beef with Peppers
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 16 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Minced fresh ginger; 1 Lime halved; 2 tbsp Cornstarch; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Red chili paste or a few dashes red chili oil; 2 tbsp Packed brown sugar; Fresh basil leaves; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 package Pad Thai rice noodles or linguine; Fresh cilantro leaves; 1/2 cup Low-sodium soy sauce; 1 Medium yellow onion; 1 tbsp Diced fresh jalapeno or 1 teaspoon diced hot pepper; 1 Red bell pepper cored and sliced into rings; 3 tbsp Sherry; 1 lb Flank steak

Shared by DeadBeet

2 servings / 16 ingredients

AsianBeefSkilletWokThai

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The Backstory

A deeply personal and completely necessary journey

So there I was, fresh off a silent meditation retreat where the only thing louder than my mind was my craving for actual food — ironically enough, since silence was golden and hunger was just plain ruthless. I decided to book a pottery class in Oaxaca to ground myself. But, in true me fashion, that pottery class audibly and spectacularly derailed into an impromptu cooking lesson led by our instructor, who claimed he could teach sultry soup and fiery fajitas between spinning clay pots.

Now, I must mention the ambiance took an unexpected turn when I found myself transported (in memory) to a street corner in New Orleans, where a soulful saxophone player serenaded my lunch of mystery food wrapped in what I still swear was a tortilla, although some argue it was a crepe. His music was smoky and smooth, much like my thoughts about whether the retreat actually distracted me or merely made me obsess more about flavors.

Oh right, you'll need:

1 tbsp Minced fresh ginger
1 Lime halved

Now, back to Oaxaca, the group somehow shifted from shaping mugs to dicing peppers and tossing sauces into a skillet, amidst a heated 45-minute debate that utterly consumed our group — you know, the classic culinary quarrel: is a hot dog a sandwich? Spoiler alert: it’s not. That standoff was so real that we haven’t exchanged pottery-fired hellos since. Honestly, I’m more concerned about that lost friendship than the clay I left half-molded on the wheel.

Step 1 (almost forgot!):

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Here’s a random tangent because why not: last week I found myself debating the architectural purpose of flamingo pink flamingos — as in literal garden décor — and how they relate to modern art. Somehow, this spiraled into a thesis about why our taste buds crave spicy food after seeing a pink plastic bird. Maybe it’s the contrast. Or maybe my brain is broken. At any rate, this brings me full circle to this ridiculously good Thai beef with peppers recipe that marries spicy and sweet in dangerously affectionate ways.

Honestly, cooking this dish felt like mixing a potter’s precision with a jazz musician’s spontaneity. As the skillet sizzled, I imagined that saxophone player improvising right there in my kitchen. The sound of the meat searing and the bell peppers softening was a symphony to my starving soul. Now, if only I could meditate on this taste instead of just obsessing about the next meal.

. . .

Ingredients

1 tbsp Minced fresh ginger
1 Lime halved
2 tbsp Cornstarch
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Red chili paste or a few dashes red chili oil
2 tbsp Packed brown sugar
Fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 package Pad Thai rice noodles or linguine
Fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup Low-sodium soy sauce
1 Medium yellow onion
1 tbsp Diced fresh jalapeno or 1 teaspoon diced hot pepper
1 Red bell pepper cored and sliced into rings
3 tbsp Sherry
1 lb Flank steak

Steps

1
Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
2
In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, chili paste, garlic and the juice of half the lime. Pour a third of the marinade into a bowl with the sliced beef and toss to coat. Reserve the rest of the marinade for later.
3
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for a minute or so. Add the bell peppers and jalapenos. Cook for a minute, tossing until the peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove the vegetables to a plate.
4
Into the hot skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the meat mixture, evenly distributing it over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 45 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then add the onions and peppers back into the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the remaining marinade and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes; the sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off the heat.
5
Drain the noodles, then add half of them to the stir-fry. Toss and add more noodles as desired. Stir in some very hot water if needed to thin the sauce.
6
Top with basil and cilantro leaves and serve immediately with a squeeze of the remaining lime half.

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