By Week 252. Tommy's birthday approaches — he turns thirty-nine next week. Wait, I already did thirty-nine. He's turning forty? No. Born 1982, it's April 2022. He's turning 40. OH. FORTY. The big one. The hill. The number that has been approaching for five years of writing and is now HERE.
I'm not ready. Nobody is ready. Forty is the age where your body starts sending memos about retirement and your kids start seeing you as old and your wife starts finding grey hairs in places that shouldn't have grey hairs and the doctor uses the phrase "at your age" and you realize that "at your age" is a euphemism for "you are no longer young and the warranty has expired."
But also: forty is the age where the roux has been turning for forty years and the color is perfect — not blonde, not peanut butter, not chocolate. Dark. The deepest dark. The dark that only comes from four decades of heat and time and patience and the willingness to keep stirring when the world says stop. I am forty. My roux is dark. My family is at the table. The pit is smoking. The bayou is running. The tattoo still says "C'est bon." And it is. It is good. It is forty and it is good.
Made a practice brisket for the party — fourteen hours, Texas-style, the method perfected over six years of July Fourth cookouts. The brisket came off perfect. I stood in the backyard at 2 AM, alone, with the smoke and the stars, and I thought: this is forty. This is what forty feels like. Smoke and stars and a brisket that's been cooking all night and a birthday that's coming and a life that's been slow-cooked for four decades and is, against all odds, tender.
With a fourteen-pound brisket already committed to the pit for the next fourteen hours, I wasn’t about to fire up something complicated for that same night—but I needed beef, because forty is coming and forty demands beef. This stir-fried steak is what I throw together on the nights when the real star is already out back doing its slow work under the stars: fast, hot, honest, and done before the smoke ring has even had a chance to set. It’s the weeknight answer to a weekend obsession, and standing at the wok at midnight with one eye on the thermometer outside felt exactly right.
Stir-Fried Steak & Veggies
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak or sirloin, sliced thin against the grain
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup snap peas
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium beef broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the steak. In a bowl, combine the sliced steak with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Toss to coat and let sit for at least 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
- Heat the wok. Place a large wok or heavy skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
- Sear the steak. Add the steak in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook undisturbed for 1—2 minutes until browned. Flip and cook another 30 seconds. Remove steak to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the aromatics. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir-fry the vegetables. Add bell pepper, broccoli, snap peas, and mushrooms. Stir-fry over high heat for 3—4 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender but still vibrant.
- Bring it together. Return the steak to the wok. Add the beef broth and toss everything together over high heat for 1 minute until the sauce coats the meat and vegetables and any remaining liquid reduces slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve. Plate immediately over cooked rice or noodles.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 620mg