Cauliflower Stir-Fry with Beef – The Woks of Life

This Chinese language cauliflower stir-fry with beef is a scrumptious one-pan meal that’s fast and straightforward to make. It additionally highlights using cauliflower in Chinese language cooking, which is never seen within the U.S. and underrated!

My idea behind that is that cauliflower isn’t served in most Chinese language eating places most likely as a result of it’s costly and more durable to maintain recent than the extra well-liked broccoli in stir-fry dishes. For these of you who love cauliflower, you’ll instantly recognize this recipe and for these of you who could not eat cauliflower usually, it’s important to strive it!

What’s a Flowering Cauliflower?

Peculiar white cauliflower that you simply discover in supermarkets have a dense head of related buds, which was all I knew earlier than I first encountered a distinct cauliflower selection in China with longer stems and separate florets. 

Developed in Japan by the Tokita Seed Firm solely about 10-15 years in the past, this cauliflower selection shortly turned well-liked in China as a result of it’s extra tender and sweeter than bizarre cauliflower, making it excellent for stir-fry dishes. 

Lately, I’ve seen this selection offered in Chinese language grocery shops, labeled Chinese language cauliflower or taishan cauliflower. It has additionally proven up at farmer’s markets, marked in English as fioretto cauliflower or flowering cauliflower. I all the time purchase it each time it’s accessible! 

Tip!

Cauliflower can spoil simply, so cook dinner it as quickly as doable after you deliver it house. In any other case, the florets will begin to flip brown, beginning with small darkish spots that unfold throughout the florets. As soon as this occurs, the one treatment is to shave off these darkish spots. No matter selection you purchase, guarantee that it’s recent and doesn’t have any darkish spotty discoloration.

What Does It Imply to Velvet Beef?

As in most of our beef stir-fries, we can be velveting it right here. Velveting beef is a kind of methods that you should be taught to cook dinner good Chinese language meals at house. You need to use the shortcut technique which is what this recipe makes use of, by including a small quantity of baking soda and water together with the remainder of the marinade components. To recreate the softness and texture of beef from Chinese language eating places, use the water rinsing technique to velvet your beef.

For extra full info on deciding on cuts of beef and velveting beef, see our put up on The way to Put together Beef for Stir Fry (open new window hyperlink) and our Youtube video on The way to Velvet beef (open new window hyperlink).

Attempt these different cauliflower recipes!

Recipe Directions

Velvet the meat in a medium bowl by combining the sliced beef with the baking soda and water (when you don’t need your beef tenderized an excessive amount of, omit the baking soda). Therapeutic massage the meat together with your arms till all of the liquid is absorbed. Combine within the remaining marinade components: the cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce. Put aside to marinate for a minimum of half-hour.

Make the sauce combination by mixing collectively the hen inventory, sugar, mild soy sauce, oyster sauce, darkish soy sauce, sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Convey a big pot of water to a boil, and blanch your cauliflower for 30 to 60 seconds. Drain and put aside.

Warmth your wok over excessive warmth till it begins to smoke. Shortly add 2 tablespoons of oil and unfold the meat in a single layer. Sear the meat on one aspect for 1 minute, then flip it. Proceed to sear till browned and about 80% achieved (this could take a complete of 2-3 minutes). Flip off the warmth, take away the meat from the wok, and put aside.

Set the wok over medium warmth, and add one other tablespoon of oil together with the garlic and ginger (if utilizing).

Stir for five seconds, then pour the Shaoxing wine across the perimeter of the wok. Add the cauliflower and the sauce combination you made earlier. Stir the sauce across the sides of the wok to deglaze it.

Wok Tip!

All these good bits from stir-frying the meat must be absorbed into the sauce for taste, however the sauce gained’t be as clear. Chinese language eating places wash the wok earlier than assembling the ultimate dish to provide a extra enticing dish. You can also make the choice for your self at house. Make a extra enticing dish just like the restaurant or save a wok washing and have a tastier dish with the flavors from searing the meat!

Convey the sauce to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch and water right into a slurry to make sure it’s nicely mixed, and drizzle half the combination into the sauce whereas stirring continually. Permit it to simmer and thicken for 20 seconds.

Toss within the seared beef together with any juices. Combine every part collectively over medium warmth till the sauce is simmering and coats the meat and greens. If the sauce appears skinny, flip up the warmth to cut back it additional and add extra cornstarch slurry. If the sauce is just too thick, add a splash of hen inventory or water.

Serve with loads of steamed rice!