The Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Beef My Dad's Made 100,000X
Why this recipe
Most stir-fried bok choy with beef recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 50 years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 253.9K views, 4.7K likes on YouTube.
Bok choy is a quintessential vegetable used in many classic Chinese dishes. It's incredibly versatile and can go into a variety of recipes, like Bok Choy & Pork Soup and Braised Chinese Mushrooms with Bok Choy.
We love stir frying bok choy into a simple garlicky side dish to serve alongside meaty main courses, but my dad also transforms the vegetable into a gourmet entree using his trusty wok and a few Chinese pantry staples.
This Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Beef (牛肉炒白菜) combines juicy, flavorful beef with tender bok choy to form a hearty and comforting one-wok meal that goes perfectly with a bowl of white rice.
Ingredients
Instructions
Wash bok choy
Soak the bok choy (1 lb) in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes.
Tear off the outer leaves and rinse off the dirt. Agitate the vegetables by holding the stem side up to dislodge any remaining dirt and debris.
Chef's Tip: Place in a strainer stem side up to dry. This helps the water to drain out of the bok choy.
Prep meat
Start by removing the silver skin from the flank steak (12 oz). Next, cut against the grain at an angle and slice off 1/4-inch pieces. Place the sliced meat into a bowl and rinse in cold water for 2 minutes. This will help remove some of the beef's impurities and yield a better flavor and texture. Remove from the water and strain the meat.
Prep marinade
In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce (1 tablespoon), light soy sauce (2 teaspoons), rice wine (1 tablespoon), water (2 tablespoon), white pepper (0.25 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1 teaspoon) and cornstarch (2 tablespoon) until well combined.
Marinate beef
Squeeze the beef to remove any excess liquid. Pour the marinade mixture into the bowl and lightly mix for 2 minutes, then set aside to marinate as you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Prep aromatics
Crush and peel the garlic (3 clove). Slice off the end, then chop in various directions to mince.
Wash and thinly cut the ginger (0.50 oz) into 1/4-inch slices, then cut into quarters. You can also peel before slicing if you'd like.
Cut the carrots (0.50 oz) into 1/4-inch slices as well.
Slice off the whites of the green onions (2 stalk), then halve them. Save the green tops for other uses.
Cut bok choy
Depending on the size of your bok choy, quarter or halve all of the vegetables. This helps them cook quickly.
Prep sauce & slurry
In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce (1 tablespoon), light soy sauce (2 teaspoons), dark soy sauce (0.50 teaspoon), rice wine (2 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), white pepper (1 dash), and chicken boullion (1 teaspoon), if using.
In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch (1 teaspoon) and water (1 tablespoon) to make a slurry.
To finish prepping the beef, add oil (1 tablespoon) to the marinated meat. Stir to combine and set aside. This helps seal in all the juices to keep the meat tender.
Stir fry bok choy
Heat a wok on high and add the oil (1 tablespoon). Once the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat to medium and add half of the minced garlic. Stir fry garlic for 30 seconds, then add the bok choy. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing ocassionally to move the bok choy around the wok. Add the cooking wine (1 teaspoon) and stir fry for another 20 seconds, then add the water (2 tablespoon). Use an additional tablespoon if needed. Cover and let steam for just 40 to 50 seconds on low heat.
Uncover, toss the bok choy, then add the sugar (0.50 teaspoon) and salt (0.50 teaspoon). Stir fry to combine. Turn off heat, then strain the cooked bok choy and set aside. Rinse the wok.
Stir fry beef
Heat the clean wok on high and add the remaining oil (1 tablespoon). Once the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat and add in the ginger, carrots, green onion whites and remaining minced garlic. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Increase to medium heat and add the marinated beef, gently spreading the pieces out using a pair of chopsticks.
After frying for 1 minute, flip and stir the beef. Lower the heat and pour in the sauce mixture. Stir fry to combine. If it doesn't look saucy enough, add the cornstarch slurry.
Add the bok choy and stir fry some stir fry together for 30 seconds. Add the sesame oil (1 teaspoon).
To plate, lay the bok choy at the bottom of your serving plate before adding the rest of the stir fry.
