Fine Cooking Magazine - November/December 2020

Servings: 4

As seductive as picking up the telephone and ordering in on a busy weeknight may be, you can throw together a stir-fry quicker than it takes a delivery person to get to your door. Even better, this dish is just as good as—or even better than—anything you’ll find in a to-go carton. If you don’t have a stir-fry pan, use a heavy skillet with a large surface area for the ingredients sear properly.

Ingredients

1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced on the diagonal against the grain
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped (don’t seed)
3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

Nutritional Sample Size based on four servings
Calories (kcal) : 350
Fat Calories (kcal): 210
Fat (g): 23
Saturated Fat (g): 5
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 5
Monounsaturated Fat (g): 12
Cholesterol (mg): 45
Sodium (mg): 1040
Carbohydrates (g): 8
Fiber (g): 1
Protein (g): 27

Preparation

Toss the steak with 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, 1 tsp. of the fish sauce, and the salt. Combine the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce and 1 tsp. fish sauce with 1 Tbs. of the lime juice and the brown sugar and set aside.
Pulse the peanuts, shallots, and chiles in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil and once it’s shimmering, add the beef. Cook, stirring, until the beef just loses its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and the shallot mixture, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the pan. Stir the soy mixture and add it, along with half of the cilantro and basil, and cook, stirring to let the flavors meld, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve sprinkled with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, and basil.

Serve with Rice Noodle Salad on the side.

(34 ratings) Read Reviews

Save to Recipe Box

Add Recipe Note

Saved Add to List

Add to List

Add Recipe Note

Reviews

Rate or Review

Reviews (33 reviews)

Krispie | 02/04/2019
This was tasty and easy but not amazing. I will definately make this again sometime for a weeknight meal but I would not serve it to company as it just didn’t have that pizzaz I have come to expect from FineCooking recipes.
caffiend | 01/29/2019
Just made a double batch of this for the office. It was a HUGE hit. Delicious.

I held back a little on the serranos, so we had siracha on the side. I put a good bit more basil and cilantro in, and basically doubled everything (except the peppers).

Served with plain white rice. I'll get more fancy next time!
pastatx | 01/28/2019
Yum. Will make again.

Rate this Recipe

Write a Review

What We're Cooking Now

Name: Spicy Beef with Peanuts & Chiles
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced on the diagonal against the grain; 2 Tbs. soy sauce; 2 tsp. fish sauce; 1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste; 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice; 1 Tbs. light brown sugar; 1/4 cup salted peanuts; 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped; 2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped (don’t seed); 3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil; 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro; 3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil