Meat and Vegetable Stir Fry with Sherry

Why does this stir fry have such a vague name? Because you can use veal, beef, or pork as the meat in this recipe. Just choose whichever your prefer. This stir fry recipe is a great way to learn how to make a basic, easy stir fry. The sauce is one you can use with any combination of veggies and meat and once you have the sauce ingredients in your fridge and pantry, this becomes a quick, easy weeknight dinner. Leftover tastes great too, so I always make a generous portion and count on leftovers.

I enjoy serving this over rice to soak up the delicious sauce. I'm sure it would be great over a variety of grains, but I am pretty boring when it comes to that and enjoy jasmine or basmati rice with my stir frys. Don't take the ingredient list too seriously when it comes to the veggies. Use what you have or like and leave out what's not available. I added more veggies than the original recipe calls for since I love stir fried veggies. I've made this with veal and beef and both have turned out great (sadly, it's almost easier to find veal than beef in Switzerland).

Adapted from Fine Cooking
Serves 4

1 pound pork, beef, or veal, cut into 3/4" chunks or slices
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoons crushed red chile flakes (or more if you prefer spicier)
4 medium scallions cut into 1 inch pieces (use up to 4 inches of the green part)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
2 medium carrots, sliced
2/3 cup frozen peas
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons canola oil
2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons corn starch
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine the meat, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoon sherry, ginger, garlic, and red chile flakes. Cover and set aside while you chop the veggies. Mix occasionally until you're ready to use the meat mixture.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. When hot, add the vegetables. Cook the veggies for about 6 minutes or until tender, tossing constantly. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. When hot, add the meat and the juice to the pan and cook until just cooked through, tossing so you don't burn the meat. This takes about 4 minutes. Put the veggies and their juices back into the pan. Toss with the meat until warm. In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, corn starch, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of sherry. Whisk until combined. Pour the sauce into the pan and cook until slightly thickened and clear, about 2 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning accordingly. I never add more salt to the dish, but I will sometimes add some pepper to the final product.

Serve hot over rice. Pin It Now!