Beef Stir-Fried with Chinese Celery
Chinese celery has a wonderfully intense and rather wild flavor when eaten raw, which explains why it is always cooked before serving, as in this simple stir-fry. It looks like pencil-thin stems of Western celery with roots attached, and in a bunch, it could be mistaken for Italian parsley because the leaves are similar. At a Chinese or Viet market, choose Chinese celery that looks crisp and fresh (check the roots) and use it within a couple of days of purchase.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2 to 3 as a main dish, or 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a bowl, combine the marinade and beef and mix well with chopsticks or your fingers. Set aside to marinate while you ready the other ingredients.
Step 2
Trim off the celery roots and then use your fingers to snap off some of the large leaves at the top. (I usually leave about half the leaves). Cut the stems into 2-inch lengths. Put the stems into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Bits of dirt are oft en stuck in the hollows. Drain well. The celery cooks easily in the stir-frying, so there is no need to parboil it first.
Step 3
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the garlic and stir-fry for about 15 seconds, or until aromatic. To prevent the onion and garlic from getting stuck under the beef and charring, bank them on one side of the pan. Increase the heat to high and add the beef, spreading it out into a single layer. Let it cook, undisturbed, for about 1 minute. When the beef begins to brown, use a spatula to flip and stir-fry it, incorporating the onion and garlic, for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the beef is still slightly rare. Transfer to a plate.
Step 4
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. When it is hot, add the celery and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until the celery has softened and collapsed to about one-third of its original volume. Return the beef, onion, and garlic, along with any juices, to the pan and stir-fry quickly to combine. (Unless the celery is bone-dry, you won’t need to splash in any water; the celery tends to weep a bit.) Continue stir-frying to heat and finish cooking the beef. When the beef no longer shows signs of rareness, after about 1 minute, it is done.
Step 5
Transfer the beef and celery to a serving plate and top with a generous sprinkle of pepper. Serve immediately.
