Alex in Adultland

I got really busy and serious this week about looking for a job.  Any job.  I apply to every secretary job that comes up on craigslist and careerbuilder.  I’ve also been on idealist.com a lot lately.  Tuesday I had an interview at a temp agency and then I came home and made this.  I think the brussel sprouts are the best thing I’ve ever made.  

1 lb chuck steak 

1/2 tsp of baking soda 

1 inch fresh ginger, diced 

4 cloves garlic, diced 

1 tsp + 1 tbspn sugar 

1 tbsp dark soya sauce 

1 tbspn white wine vinegar (or any light vinegar will work) 

Bunch o’ brussels sprouts 

2 tbspn oyster sauce 

1 tbsp soy sauce 

1 tbspn peanut oil or sesame oil 

1 tsp pepper 

1/4 cup water 

1. Cut up the beef into thin, small chunks.  Add baking soda and  Set aside 
2. Cut the sprouts in half and set aside. 
3. Wash the steak off (should be about half an hour later) and cover in the sugar, dark soya sauce and vinegar.  It should then be marinated for about 1 hour, but I covered at and set it aside over night.  
4. Meanwhile, I put oil in a pan, let it get a little hot and added the garlic, stirring until it was fragrant.  
5. Placed all sprouts in the pan face side down.  After three minutes, turned them.  
6. Added in a little soy sauce and a little brown sugar, cooked for another 5 min.  Just ate those delicious sprouts for dinner.  
7. Then next night, I heated some peanut oil in a pan, let it get hot and then added the beef.  I only kept it in there a second before transferring it to a bowl, still mostly pink.  
8. Same pan, fry some ginger and garlic, then all the other ingredients.  Wait for the sauce to boil down to a pretty thick consistency, then add the beef again, cook for another 3 min.  Remove from heat.  
9. Because there was so much leftover sauce, I added some leftover brussels sprouts and stir fried those up too. 
10. I served it with some boiled beets, which added some color to plate.  Plus it’s mild flavor cut the intensity of the steak sauce.