Hey everyone
Although I love comics, a myriad of Japanese fighting games, blaxploitation movies, there's one thing that I love unconditionally...so much so that I can't get through a whole day without having it.
I'm talkin' about food ya'll.
Hanwu Galbi,Bacon Double Cheeseburgers, Apple Cinnamon Crepes...yea those were incredibly random but the list could go on forever. I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a "foodie" but I really love food, more importantly I love making it! I guess while in college to make money stretch I saw it as a viable option to get through semesters but eventually it became something I grew fond of to a point whenever I have the time to cook, I'm definitely hyped about it!
The last blog update about food was a recipe for making an awesome Steak and Cheese Sandwich, but this time being the carnivore-whore that I am...I'm going to delve into my Pepper Steak dish!
Note : To keep with the dorkdom of my last entry : Today's Beefy Episode is ..." Shakunetsu Burning Pepper Steak!"
I like this recipe because its rather simple but with some minor adjustments can come out really tasty within a fraction of the time it would take to make something a bit more extravagant. Definitely good for when you have some time but not alot, but you want something that doesn't taste like Souper Meal (not that I don't like them, def good for when you're in a pinch hunched over your desk!)
Anyway, moving on to the ingredients:
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (Mc Cormick Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" Seasoning)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 large green bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
When it comes to meat, definitely keep this in mind:
-Prime
-Choice
-Select
I guess you can consider these "tiers" for buying quality steak. Either or is fine but you definitely can tell the difference between all of them so pick according to preference, but it never hurts to consider budget as well!
Also, marbling. What I mean by that is, when you seen thin threads of fat coarsing through out the meat it sort of looks like "marbling". There's a lot of flavor that can tapped into from that as the steak cooks. You definitely want something in there to coincide with whatever flavoring rubs you apply.
Lastly, if you do have to used pre-packaged (most of us normally do unless you have a repoire with your fellow butcher--which is a VERY good connect to have if possible) the obvious thing to avoid is anything past expiration. Besides expiration watch out for unreasonable amounts of moisture from the package as this could definitely mean that the product is either close to expiration or possibly was not kept under proper temperature.
- Cut steak into 2-in. x 1/8-in. strips. In a large skillet or wok, brown steak in oil. Add garlic, ginger, salt if desired and pepper; cook 1 minute. Remove meat and keep warm. Add green pepper and onions to skillet; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Dissolve bouillon in hot water; add to skillet with water chestnuts. Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, cold water and sugar; stir into skillet. Add meat. Cook and stir until mixture boils; cook and stir 2 minutes more.
I think everyone has a preference for the dimensions of their meat when it comes to having Pepper Steak or any steak dish. I prefer chunky tender slices to go along with the peppers, etc to give it a very chunky, flavorful texture. To me, Pepper Steak is a meant to be a very hearty and filling meal so I try to embody that with my cooking!
In terms of seasoning, my go-to is usually Mc Cormicks All-Purpose Season Salt with a combination of Mc Cormick Grill Mates "Montreal Steak" Seasoning. Season Salt really penetrates the fabric of any meat very well and enriches its original flavor and texture after being cooked. The Montreal Steak Seasoning complements this and accompanying components in the dish as well. These 2 seasoning agents rarely go unused with me, unless there's something that really calls for an alternative.
A skillet can work just as well as wok, if you understand how to oil the pan properly, and manage distribution of ingredients. The most important thing to remember is you want EVERYTHING to cook down properly. There's nothing worse than an unbalanced morsel of food. Keep in mind how much your serving size will be in relation to your skillet, pan or wok. With a wok you shouldn't have to worry about that much but with skillets since they are generally smaller be cautious of how much you plan on cooking.
Also : Remember that your peppers will cook down...it will definitely seem like you're overflowing but its ok, everything will cook down with equal distribution.
One last note! When it comes to salt, consider the following:
-Your palette
-Your Health/Lifestyle
These are very important to any cook, or the people you plan on serving it to. Make adjustments accordingly to ensure it fits your diet and your sensory palette. I never follow recipes exactly. Everyone's frame of reference is VERY different. Keep that in mind.
- I adjust the salt content to be slightly lower than the default amount, as well as removing the minced garlic cloves. You can substitute those with powder if you prefer.
- If there is anything I'd say not to go without its definitely the Beef Bouillon cube granules. These are essential to the thickened and bonding of all the ingredients in this recipe. Don't go without it if you can help it.
Other than that! I hope you enjoy it and hope to try it out for yourself!
