Beef Stir-Fried with Cauliflower

Name: Beef Stir-Fried with Cauliflower
Yield: serves 2 to 3 as a main dish, or 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients: Beef Stir-Fry Marinade (page 319); 3/4 pound flank steak, cut across the grain into strips about 3 inches long, 1/4 inch thick; 3 cups small cauliflower florets, about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide at the bud end; 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil; 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; Black pepper; 3 or 4 cilantro sprigs

December 14, 2011

In classic stir-fries such as this one, beef, a special-occasion meat in Vietnam, is paired with a vegetable that is equally prized and costly. Here, it is cauliflower, traditionally considered a luxury vegetable in Vietnam because it used to be grown only in the cool areas around Dalat. To allow these precious ingredients to shine, they are treated simply with little sauce and only a few other ingredients. Taking a cue from Chinese cooks, I use flank steak for stir-frying. Cut across the grain into small pieces, it cooks up to an inimitable tenderness. To complement the beef, I select cauliflower that tastes sweet, looks dense, and feels heavy for its size.

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