In an effort to save time in the kitchen yet maximize flavor on the plate, I started a series called “Two Recipes, One Sauce.” The idea is simple –when you take the time to create one great sauce, you can easily reuse it the next night in a new way.
For example, what does a Chinese Stir Fry have in common with an American Roast Chicken? Typically nothing, but when you use this ultra-rich and spicy sauce on a basic stir fry you get a new fusion dish saturated in deep flavor! It tastes like you’ve been cooking for days but takes less than an hour.
Since my family has fallen in love with this sauce, I’ve been experimenting with different proteins. It’s incredible with the roasted chicken, but it also works great with beef or shrimp.
For this Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, it is super important to use a good cut of meat. If you really want to go for the maximum flavor, I suggest you either give the meat a 24-hour marinade or simply buy a pre-marinated meat from a specialty grocer like Whole Foods or Oliver’s Market. I love to make this dish with the Mesquite or Fire Roasted Marinated Tri-Tip from Oliver’s Market. They place the meat with the marinade into this cool machine called a vacuum tumbler. When the tumbler vacuums out all the air, the marinade goes right inside the meat. What usually takes at least 24 hours is accomplished in thirty minutes. I just love these flavor-packed pre-marinated meats!
But the truth is, if I offer my husband a choice, he will always say, “Just buy whatever is on sale.” That’s my David.
Whenever the wild shrimp is on sale, we go shrimp and I buy them with the shells on. Sometimes I just love the primal fun of eating with my hands. It’s exciting to work for those delicious morsels of sweet meat covered in sauce! Having to work for the meat also keeps us enjoying the meal a little longer!
When reheating your sauce, if you find you lose too much liquid, or just want more sauce, just add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and a small amount of a couple of the original ingredients (1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon of Asian chili paste). Be careful with the Asian chili paste; it is super hot, so use it sparingly.
While I do stir fry the veggies, I prefer to grill the meat separately, then fan it on the plate and pour the sauce on top. It looks gorgeous this way! To make things simple, I often just use my cast iron grill pan right on the stove. To add one more touch of top chef star power, I roast or grill a couple scallions until they are golden brown and crispy, slice them up, then sprinkle them on top for a crunchy topping.
From my Christian home to yours, Bon Appetit!
This recipe is PART II of a series, Two Recipes, One Sauce. To create this recipe you will need the original recipe for the sauce. So if you didn’t already print that out, click here Spicy Roast Chicken with Cumin Jalapeno Sauce.
- 1½ lbs Tri Tip Beef (Mesquite Marinated)
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 bunch asparagus, top halves only
- 1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
- 2 medium shallots, sliced
- 12 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 jalapeno pepper, cut into strips
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped, reserve half for garnish
- 2 Scallions, (roasted then chopped for garnish)
- 1-2 cups Erica's Spicy Jalapeno Cumin Cilantro Sauce
- 1 can vegetable broth
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks.
- Brush a cast iron grill pan lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Preheat the pan to medium high heat. Place the steaks on the grill pan when it is nice and hot. You should hear the steaks sizzle on the pan, but don't let the heat get too high. Cook the steaks uncovered for twenty minutes, turning frequently, until cooked to desired doneness. Let steaks rest for ten minutes to seal in the juices.
- While the steak is cooking reheat the sauce in a separate pan, and cook the stir fry vegetables.
- In a large frying pan, saute on medium heat the garlic, shallots, yellow pepper and jalapeno on medium for 3-4 minutes, until the shallots turn translucent. Add in the broccoli and asparagus. Mix in a tsp of salt. Continue stirring frequently for 7 minutes.
- Add ½ of the sauce and ½ of the cilantro. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender yet still bright green in color.
- After the steak has rested, slice into thin strips and fan 4-5 slices per serving on pre-heated plates. Place the stir fried vegetables beside the meat, building height. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the top and garnish with sprinkle of cilantro and some crispy scallions. Bon Appetit!!
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