BBQ Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Editor revisions are progressing. The manuscript is getting tighter with each pass — the editor’s notes have helped me see redundancies between essays and the small structural inefficiencies that I had been holding too close to see. The book is becoming itself in a way it hadn’t been at the manuscript-submission stage. Brayden is twenty-one months old and starting to put two-word phrases together — “more cheese,” “Mama up,” “cracker please,” “Dada home.” The phrase-construction is its own developmental milestone.

Sunday I made BBQ beef and vegetable stir-fry because the apartment had a flank steak from a Saturday grocery run and Dustin had been wanting an Asian-leaning stir-fry. The BBQ-meets-Asian fusion is the kind of cross-cuisine I’ve been doing more of in the last year — American barbecue flavors translated through Cantonese stir-fry technique.

The technique: a one-pound flank steak sliced thin against the grain on the bias. Marinated thirty minutes in two tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of cornstarch, a teaspoon of sesame oil, two cloves of garlic minced, a teaspoon of grated ginger.

The BBQ-stir-fry sauce, whisked in advance: a half-cup of low-sodium soy sauce, a quarter-cup of barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s or any sweet-and-smoky barbecue sauce), three tablespoons of brown sugar, two tablespoons of rice vinegar, a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, four cloves of garlic minced, a tablespoon of cornstarch, a half-cup of low-sodium beef broth.

The stir-fry: a hot wok with two tablespoons of vegetable oil. The marinated beef stir-fried in two batches for ninety seconds per batch. Out to a plate.

The vegetables: one red bell pepper sliced, one green bell pepper sliced, two cups of broccoli florets, one yellow onion in half-moons. Stir-fried in the hot wok for four minutes until crisp-tender.

The beef returned. The BBQ-stir-fry sauce poured in. Stirred for ninety seconds until the sauce thickens and glazes everything.

Off the heat with sliced scallions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Served over jasmine rice. Dustin had two large portions.

Cornstarch in the marinade. Two-batch beef sear, vegetables in the hot wok, sauce thickens at the end. Here’s the build.

BBQ Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 2–3

Ingredients

• 1 lb flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite brand or homemade)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Cooked rice or crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef. In a bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature while you prep the vegetables.
2. Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over high heat until just smoking. Remove beef from the marinade (reserve marinade) and add to the pan in a single layer. Sear without stirring for 1–2 minutes, then stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until browned. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the bell peppers and zucchini and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until tender-crisp. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
4. Combine and finish. Return the seared beef to the pan. Pour the reserved marinade over everything and toss to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and everything is heated through. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
5. Serve. Plate over cooked rice or alongside crusty bread. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 720mg