Steak Stir Fry with Lime and Soy Sauce
First of all, let’s talk about steak!
The best places to buy steak, in my opinion, are Whole Foods or Sudbury Farms. When buying a steak from the refrigerated case, if there is a butcher working at the case giving people the cuts of meat, do not hesitate to ask his (or her, but I’ve never met a female butcher yet) advice on what to buy. Tell him that you are making a marinade and then stir frying, and ask what (s)he recommends. The recommendation may change depending on the day you go to the grocery store because butchers seem to have different things on different days.
If you can get the pre-sliced steak that the butcher sliced that day, that is best for this recipe.
Always buy steak within one to two days of when you plan to make it, or if there is a good price, you can always buy a few steaks that day and save the rest of them very well-wrapped. Defrost steak in the fridge, NOT on the counter.
What is grass-fed beef? Should I buy it?
Grass-fed beef comes from cows that have been grazing on grass, instead of eating whatever meal they feed the other cows, which may or may not be corn-based. I feel like if you’re buying steak at Whole Foods in particular, the life of the cow was probably not the most horrifying life ever, but I definitely have a preference for grass-fed beef when it is possible to buy it. You know the cow had a better life, and it tastes yummier to me.
Grass-fed beef tastes like something you could imagine grazing on legit grass. It tastes a bit richer and wilder than the other types of beef that I have tried.
I especially recommend buying grass-fed beef when it is on sale because then you are doing the right thing for the cows without breaking the bank, so everybody wins!
So now, let’s get to the recipe!
Serves 4 people with some leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 to 1 and a half pound steak
6 limes
Approximately 5 tbsp soy sauce, or more if desired
2 heads of broccoli
Several handfuls of green beans
Several handfuls of baby carrots
1 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
Note: This is the most customizable recipe for a stir fry that I have. If you don’t like some of the vegetables, simply substitute other vegetables. I would especially like to try it with asparagus in the future!
Instructions:
For your Mise en place:
Marinate steak in juice of 3 limes, olive oil, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and 2 tbsp soy sauce. You will want it to sit in the fridge in the marinade for a MINIMUM of half an hour!
Prep the vegetables…
Cut the broccoli into florets.
Cut the ends off the green beans.
Slice or roughly dice the onion.
Cut two cloves of garlic into slices.
Cooking:
After the steak has been marinating at least half an hour, preferably an hour, and overnight if desired:
Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic to perfume the oil. Take the garlic out when it starts to brown. Sweat the onion.
Add the steak to the pan and toss around with a spatula to cook all sides.
Meanwhile, steam the broccoli and carrots and green beans. They generally steam for different amount of time, so here’s what I usually do:
Put the carrots in the steamer basket and give them a couple minute head start depending on the size of the carrots. When the water is boiling and the carrots have begun to soften, add the green beans and steam for six minutes. Then add the broccoli and steam for another approximately two to three minutes. By the time the broccoli is fork-tender, the rest of the vegetables should have had plenty of time to steam without becoming dreadfully over-cooked! However, if you would prefer to steam them each one at a time to adjust the cooking time to perfection, feel free to do so. I like steaming them in one pot because then you only have to wash one pot after the meal!
Make the sauce: juice of 3 limes and 3 tbsp soy sauce.
Add the sauce, the steamed vegetables, and the onion to the pan with the steak. Cook 2 minutes so all of the flavors marry. Taste and see if it needs more salt or more soy sauce.
You’re the one eating this, so make sure it tastes delicious to you and has the right salt balance for your preferences! Remember that soy sauce is very salty, so to bump up the salt level at the end, you probably want to add EITHER extra soy sauce or extra salt, but not both. Unless it’s really bland.
You will know the steak is cooked through because there will only be a tiny hint of pink in the middle, or even be totally brown if you prefer your steak well-done. So cut into a couple of pieces just to be sure it is at your desired done-ness.
ENJOY!
Note for cooking with raw beef: I like to use one spatula while the beef is still raw, and then once it is just cooked through, I pick a clean spatula or fork to avoid contaminating the cooked food with the potential bacteria from the raw meat. I know that not everyone is that concerned about raw meat, but I am extra careful about contamination in my kitchen and especially when cooking with kids!
First of all, let’s talk about steak!
The best places to buy steak, in my opinion, are Whole Foods or Sudbury Farms. When buying a steak from the refrigerated case, if there is a butcher working at the case giving people the cuts of meat, do not hesitate to ask his (or her, but I’ve never met a female butcher yet) advice on what to buy. Tell him that you are making a marinade and then stir frying, and ask what (s)he recommends. The recommendation may change depending on the day you go to the grocery store because butchers seem to have different things on different days.
If you can get the pre-sliced steak that the butcher sliced that day, that is best for this recipe.
Always buy steak within one to two days of when you plan to make it, or if there is a good price, you can always buy a few steaks that day and save the rest of them very well-wrapped. Defrost steak in the fridge, NOT on the counter.
What is grass-fed beef? Should I buy it?
Grass-fed beef comes from cows that have been grazing on grass, instead of eating whatever meal they feed the other cows, which may or may not be corn-based. I feel like if you’re buying steak at Whole Foods in particular, the life of the cow was probably not the most horrifying life ever, but I definitely have a preference for grass-fed beef when it is possible to buy it. You know the cow had a better life, and it tastes yummier to me.
Grass-fed beef tastes like something you could imagine grazing on legit grass. It tastes a bit richer and wilder than the other types of beef that I have tried.
I especially recommend buying grass-fed beef when it is on sale because then you are doing the right thing for the cows without breaking the bank, so everybody wins!
So now, let’s get to the recipe!
Serves 4 people with some leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 to 1 and a half pound steak
6 limes
Approximately 5 tbsp soy sauce, or more if desired
2 heads of broccoli
Several handfuls of green beans
Several handfuls of baby carrots
1 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
Note: This is the most customizable recipe for a stir fry that I have. If you don’t like some of the vegetables, simply substitute other vegetables. I would especially like to try it with asparagus in the future!
Instructions:
For your Mise en place:
Marinate steak in juice of 3 limes, olive oil, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and 2 tbsp soy sauce. You will want it to sit in the fridge in the marinade for a MINIMUM of half an hour!
Prep the vegetables…
Cut the broccoli into florets.
Cut the ends off the green beans.
Slice or roughly dice the onion.
Cut two cloves of garlic into slices.
Cooking:
After the steak has been marinating at least half an hour, preferably an hour, and overnight if desired:
Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic to perfume the oil. Take the garlic out when it starts to brown. Sweat the onion.
Add the steak to the pan and toss around with a spatula to cook all sides.
Meanwhile, steam the broccoli and carrots and green beans. They generally steam for different amount of time, so here’s what I usually do:
Put the carrots in the steamer basket and give them a couple minute head start depending on the size of the carrots. When the water is boiling and the carrots have begun to soften, add the green beans and steam for six minutes. Then add the broccoli and steam for another approximately two to three minutes. By the time the broccoli is fork-tender, the rest of the vegetables should have had plenty of time to steam without becoming dreadfully over-cooked! However, if you would prefer to steam them each one at a time to adjust the cooking time to perfection, feel free to do so. I like steaming them in one pot because then you only have to wash one pot after the meal!
Make the sauce: juice of 3 limes and 3 tbsp soy sauce.
Add the sauce, the steamed vegetables, and the onion to the pan with the steak. Cook 2 minutes so all of the flavors marry. Taste and see if it needs more salt or more soy sauce.
You’re the one eating this, so make sure it tastes delicious to you and has the right salt balance for your preferences! Remember that soy sauce is very salty, so to bump up the salt level at the end, you probably want to add EITHER extra soy sauce or extra salt, but not both. Unless it’s really bland.
You will know the steak is cooked through because there will only be a tiny hint of pink in the middle, or even be totally brown if you prefer your steak well-done. So cut into a couple of pieces just to be sure it is at your desired done-ness.
ENJOY!
Note for cooking with raw beef: I like to use one spatula while the beef is still raw, and then once it is just cooked through, I pick a clean spatula or fork to avoid contaminating the cooked food with the potential bacteria from the raw meat. I know that not everyone is that concerned about raw meat, but I am extra careful about contamination in my kitchen and especially when cooking with kids!