Recipe - Chinese: Asparagus With Black Bean Beef

CATE VANICEK
One half pound Beef, cut or sliced up , marinated
1 pound Asparagus
One fourth teaspoon Baking soda, dissolved in
2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon Chinese fermented black
Beans, minced with:
4 Garlic cloves (One half teaspoon
Each)
1 teaspoon Rice wine
2 teaspoon Soy sauce
Peanut oil

MARINADE FOR BEEF
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
One half teaspoon Rice wine
One half teaspoon Sugar
One fourth teaspoon MSG (optional)
One half teaspoon Salt

GRAVY MIXTURE
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1/3 cup Water

Cut the beef when it is partially frozen, and cut it across the grain into
thin slices.

Stir baking soda solution into the beef (to help tenderize it). Stir in the
marinade. Then stir in 1 tsp peanut oil and marinate the beef for one hour
or more in the refrigerator.

Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil over high heat, add One half teaspoon salt. Stir in
asparagus. Add One fourth cup water. Cover pan for 2 minutes, and do not lift
lid. When done, remove to a platter.

Over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Stirfry the RINSED black beans
and garlic mixture. Stir for a few seconds. Add the beef. Stirfry quickly
until barely. Do not overcook or the beef will become tough. Sizzle in 1
tablespoon of rice wine and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Stir in asparagus.

Add gravy mixture. Stir until thickened. Serve hot.

SOURCE: Stella Chan's Secrets in the Art of Chinese Cooking.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini