Green Tomato + Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice
• Canola oil for frying (or regular olive oil)
• 6 Shishito peppers, tops cut, membranes and seeds removed and sliced
• 2 medium green tomatoes (you can sub red tomatoes, the dish will just be sweeter), sliced
• 1 cup Vidalia (sweet) onion, sliced with the grain (for more crispy, cooked onions)
• 1 medium-large Kohlrabi, sliced into 1/2 inch slices (keep the skin on, cut off any rough parts)
• 1-2 lb flank steak, sliced thin, across the grain
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (you don't need to dissolve it)
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt (for the meat)
• 2 tbsp Canola or regular olive oil (to use when frying)
For the Marinade:
• 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese whiskey (or other whiskey or the same amount dry sherry)
• 1/8 tsp Chinese 5 Spice blend
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 fresh ground black pepper, or amount to taste, plus more for serving
• 1 cup water (add when doing the stir fry sauce, up to 2 cups for lots of sauce)
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch (1 tbsp per cup of water that you add to the sauce)
Optional Toppings:
• Roasted or Tuxedo sesame seeds
• Fresh basil
• Sliced scallions (green onions)

Instructions

Prepare the Marinade:
1. In a medium bowl, add 1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger, 1-2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp whiskey, 1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice, black pepper, and whisk to combine.
2. Before adding to the stir-fry: Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to the 1-2 cups water and dissolve. Incorporate into the marinade and whisk to combine.
Prepare and Tenderize the Beef:
3. After slicing the beef, add it to a large mixing bowl, add 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup of the marinade and mix to combine and set aside while you cook the vegetables.
To Make The Stir Fry:
4. Cook the onions, Kohlrabi, peppers, and tomatoes.
5. Over medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons Canola oil to your wok, add the onions, using a spatula to stir, cook until they are translucent. Add the Kohlrabi, stir until it's coated in oil and fry for about 4 mins, until crisp-tender. Add the peppers and green tomatoes 2 minutes into cooking the kohlrabi, stirring to combine.
6. When the vegetables are done, remove them from the wok onto a plate or bowl and set aside until later.
Cook the Beef:
7. Using the same wok as you cooked the vegetables in, over medium-high heat, add 1-2 tbsp Canola oil, and the prepared beef. As it's cooking, stir to coat with the oil, it should take 3-4 minutes to cook the beef, make sure not to over cook, as it will make the beef more tough.
Bring it all together:
8. When the beef is done cooking, add the remaining marinade, and the vegetables and bring to a boil. The boiling will activate the cornstarch and thicken the sauce, stirring to combine the mixture. When the sauce is thick to your liking, remove from heat and serve over rice and topped with the optional toppings. Enjoy!

Notes