Potato Braised Beef

Ingredients

1. 120 g potato
2. 60 g beef
3. 50 g each green pepper, red pepper, carrot, mushroom, and onion
4. Cherry tomatoes, scallion, ginger, garlic, and red wine, as needed
5. Camellia oil or vegetable oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, and black pepper, as needed

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef with black pepper and a little oil for at least 30 minutes, then coat it lightly with cornstarch.
2. Cut the potato, mushrooms, green pepper, and red pepper into thin strips.
3. Heat oil in a wok. Add scallion, ginger, and garlic, then stir-fry until fragrant. Add the beef and stir-fry briefly, then add cherry tomatoes, blanched potato strips, peppers, and mushrooms.
4. Lower the heat, thicken lightly with a cornstarch slurry, and transfer to a plate.
5. For the chunky version, marinate the beef with black pepper and oil, then cut it into bite-size pieces.
6. Cut the vegetables into bite-size chunks.
7. Heat oil, stir-fry scallion and garlic until fragrant, then add beef and carrot. Stir-fry briefly and add water.
8. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam.
9. Add soy sauce and red wine. Cook over high heat until the sauce reduces and coats the ingredients.
10. Finish with basil leaves and extra black pepper if you like.
11. The potatoes turn soft, the beef stays chewy and savory, and the tomato and carrot add a gentle sweet-sour flavor.
12. Serve as a balanced home-style meal. Use potato as the main starch and keep the portion moderate.

Cooking Tips

1. Marinating beef with black pepper and oil helps it stay tender.
2. A light cornstarch coating helps the sauce cling to the beef.
3. Cut vegetables into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
4. Use any mild mushroom if crab-flavored mushrooms are hard to find.
5. Vegetable oil works well if camellia oil is unavailable.