Five Spice Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice, prepared
• 2 cups beef broth or stock
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin or beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed, placed in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes then thinly sliced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup cooking sherry
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, eyeball the amount (recommended ( Tamari)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, found on Asian foods aisle of market
• cracked black pepper
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle, for garnish
• 1/2 cup whole almond, smoked

Directions

1. 1

   Boil water for rice and prepare to package directions.

2. 2

   Place beef broth in a small pot over low heat to warm the liquid.

3. 3

   Heat a wok shaped skillet or pan over high heat. Add oil (it will smoke) and meat bits. Stir-fry meat 3 minutes and remove from pan or move off to the side of the wok.

4. 4

   Return pan to heat and add peppers and onions. Stir-fry veggies 2 minutes. Add meat back to the pan.

5. 5

   Add sherry and stir fry until liquid almost evaporates about 1 minute. Add soy sauce to the pan.

6. 6

   Dissolve cornstarch with a ladle of warm beef broth. Add beef broth to the pan, then add cornstarch combined with broth, the five-spice powder and black pepper. Stir sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

7. 7

   Adjust seasonings. Add more soy or salt if necessary. Remove stir-fry from heat.

8. 8

   Fill dinner bowls with beef stir-fry and top with a scoop of rice. Scoop rice with ice cream scoop to get a rounded ball. By placing rice on top of stir-fry, rice will stay firm and not soak up too much sauce.

9. 9

   Garnish with chopped scallions and smoked almonds.