Bitter Melon and Black Bean Sauce Beef
4.9
Ingredients
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 95 min
Instructions
- 1 Fill a large bowl with ice; add enough salted water to make an ice bath. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add bitter melon and cook uncovered until tender yet firm, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice bath; allow to sit until bitterness is extracted, about 1 hour. Drain.
- 2 Whisk 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and baking soda together in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Add beef and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- 3 Heat wok or a large skillet on high until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add beef to wok in a single layer; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer beef to a plate. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in wok. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in bitter melon; cook until combined, about 1 minute.
- 4 Stir black bean sauce into melon mixture, then stir in oyster sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and sugar. Pour in 3/4 cup water; cover and let simmer until flavors combine, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water together; stir in until sauce thickened.
By Doug Wah