BOK CHOY WITH BEEF

Bok Choy with Beef image

Yield Makes 4 (main course) servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 (1-pound) piece beef tenderloin
For marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon medium-dry Sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 pound baby bok choy
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons medium-dry Sherry
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
Accompaniment: rice

Steps:

Cut beef crosswise (across the grain) into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
Make marinade and marinate meat:
Stir together marinade ingredients in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Add beef, tossing to coat, and marinate 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Blanch bok choy:
Separate bok choy into individual leaves and halve crosswise, keeping stems and leaves separate. Cook stems in a large pot of boiling water 15 seconds, then add leaves and cook 15 seconds more. Drain in a colander, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking and drain well.
Fry beef:
Stir together soy sauce, Sherry, and vinegar.
Heat vegetable oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 400°F.
Add beef to hot oil with tongs (discard marinade) and cook, stirring carefully, until slices separate, about 1 minute. Transfer beef with tongs to a colander and drain.
Stir-fry beef and bok choy:
Reserve 3 tablespoons oil from skillet and discard remainder. Heat reserved oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then stir-fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef, soy mixture, and bok choy and stir-fry until sauce is simmering and mixture is just heated through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.