Steak Kow consists of thinly sliced steak or beef chunks swimming in a flavorful gravy that resembles a broth. This is my version of a classic favorite!.
What is Chow Steak Kow?
Older readers may recall seeing Chow Steak Kow on the menu of their neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Large pieces of steak were stir-fried with a variety of vegetables in a brown sauce for the dish.
This classic dish has been updated with sizable steak chunks that have been marinated, topped with an irresistible Chinese steak sauce, and served over a nutritious bed of stir-fried bok choy.
If you prefer, you can use a variety of other vegetables in place of the bok choy, such as broccoli, snow peas, peppers, or even peppers. Making meals at home is wonderful because you can use whatever is in the fridge.
How do I make a perfect beef stir fry?
We have many guides to making the perfect stir-fry:
- Marinating the steak is a simple, but important step. See our article on how to prepare beef for stir fry to learn how to do it like a pro and make it second nature.
- This recipe’s steak sauce is unique to Chow Steak Kow, but it can also be used for other beef dishes. See our article on how to prepare prepared stir fry sauce if you’re looking for a traditional all-purpose stir-fry sauce. Any combination of meats, tofu, or vegetables can be stir-fried with a pre-made sauce, making the process even easier and quicker.
- The final step, thickening your stir-fry sauce, is one that many people forget to do. We employ cornstarch, and we have more information on how to do so when cooking Chinese food.
What is Chinese Steak Sauce?
Most Chinese chefs at the time were quite unfamiliar with serving a large piece of meat in the steakhouse style.
When faced with large American steaks, the answer was to serve marinated steak bites in an Asian- or Western-inspired stir-fry sauce that contained a small amount of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
This steak stir fry is the perfect dish for a Lunar New Year celebration, which will be on January 25. Steak is a special occasion food, so give it a try!
Steak Stir Fry Recipe Instructions
Leave some of the fat on the steak when cutting it into cubes. This adds key flavor to the dish. Transfer the cubes to a medium bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch.
Toss until the steak is well-coated. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare the stir-fry sauce:
Water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil should all be combined in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare the bok choy base:
Make sure your bok choy is thoroughly cleaned. We always triple wash our bok choy. Not doing a thorough job risks sand ruining your vegetables.
Heat wok over high heat. Spread 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the edge of the wok and add your ginger slices right away.
Add the chopped garlic and the bok choy after five to ten seconds.
Bok choy should be stir-fried briefly (so the garlic doesn’t burn) until it starts to wilt. If your wok burner is not producing enough heat, you can also cover the bok choy for 30 seconds.
Add the salt, sugar, and MSG (if using) after the bok choy has cooked and wilted (about 60 seconds). Mix well, move to a warm serving plate, and reserve. Although MSG is completely optional, it enhances the flavor of stir-fried vegetables.
Carefully rinse your wok with warm water, drain, and wipe off any excess moisture as you proceed with the remaining steps; your stir-fried bok choy is waiting to be topped with your delicious steak. Reposition the wok over the burner that is on high heat. Place a half-teaspoon of vegetable oil all around the wok’s edge.
Add the steak in a single layer, fat-side down for any pieces with visible fat, once the wok starts to smoke.
Sear for 30 seconds or until brown. Toss everything together with your wok spatula to ensure even cooking and browning, but avoid the urge to stir the food excessively. To get a good sear and the most flavor, you need high heat. This steak stir fry recipe calls for large 1-inch chunks of steak because I prefer to sear the steak until it’s cooked medium to medium-rare.
When the steak is done to your liking, remove it from the heat and place it on top of the bok choy to rest. (Pour any excess liquid off the bok choy plate if it has accumulated any before adding the beef. ).
At least 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in the wok are required. Pour off any excess and discard. Your sauce will taste that much better thanks to this pure beef flavor.
Turn the wok back up to medium-high heat. To deglaze the wok, pour the prepared steak sauce into it. If you want more sauce, you can add more water. It’s even better if you use the bok choy plate’s water because it has a nice ginger and garlic flavor.
Stir the cornstarch slurry and drizzle it into the simmering sauce, allowing it to thicken until it coats a spoon. To make sure the cornstarch is cooked, continue to simmer for 20 more seconds.
Turn the heat off, pour the sauce over your steak.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.
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Steak Stir Fry (Chow Steak Kow)
For the steak and marinade:
- 1 pound of 1-inch-thick beef ribeye or sirloin steak
- ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- Depending on the quality of your steak, you may want to add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda as a tenderizer.
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
For the steak sauce:
- ▢ 5 tablespoons water
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ketchup
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- ▢ 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ▢ 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, combined with 1 tablespoon water to form a slurry.
For the bok choy base:
- ▢ 12 ounces fresh bok choy (cut and thoroughly washed)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ▢ 3-4 slices fresh ginger (smashed)
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon MSG (optional)
- Leave some of the fat on the steak when cutting it into cubes. This adds key flavor to the dish. Transfer the cubes to a medium bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Toss until the steak is well-coated. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil should all be combined in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make sure your bok choy is thoroughly cleaned. We always triple wash our bok choy. Not doing a thorough job risks sand ruining your vegetables.
- Heat wok over high heat. Spread 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the edge of the wok and add your ginger slices right away. Add the chopped garlic and the bok choy after five to ten seconds.
- Bok choy should be stir-fried briefly (so the garlic doesn’t burn) until it starts to wilt. If your wok burner is not producing enough heat, you can also cover the bok choy for 30 seconds.
- Add the salt, sugar, and MSG (if using) after the bok choy has cooked and wilted (about 60 seconds). Mix well, move to a warm serving plate, and reserve. Although MSG is completely optional, it enhances the flavor of stir-fried vegetables.
- Carefully rinse your wok with warm water, drain, and wipe off any excess moisture as you proceed with the remaining steps; your stir-fried bok choy is waiting to be topped with your delicious steak. Reposition the wok over the burner that is on high heat. Place a half-teaspoon of vegetable oil all around the wok’s edge.
- Add the steak in a single layer, fat-side down for any pieces with visible fat, once the wok starts to smoke.
- Sear for 30 seconds or until brown. Toss everything together with your wok spatula to ensure even cooking and browning, but avoid the urge to stir the food excessively. To get a good sear and the most flavor, you need high heat. This steak stir fry recipe calls for large 1-inch chunks of steak because I prefer to sear the steak until it’s cooked medium to medium-rare.
- When the steak is done to your liking, remove it from the heat and place it on top of the bok choy to rest. (Pour any excess liquid off the bok choy plate if it has accumulated any before adding the beef. ) .
- At least 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in the wok are required. Pour off any excess and discard. Your sauce will taste that much better thanks to this pure beef flavor. Turn the wok back up to medium-high heat. To deglaze the wok, pour the prepared steak sauce into it. If you want more sauce, you can add more water. It’s even better if you use the bok choy plate’s water because it has a nice ginger and garlic flavor.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry and drizzle it into the simmering sauce, allowing it to thicken until it coats a spoon. To make sure the cornstarch is cooked, continue to simmer for 20 more seconds. Serve the steak immediately with steamed rice after turning off the heat and adding the sauce to it.
TheWoksofLife. com is written and produced for informational purposes only. Although we try our best to provide nutritional information to our readers as a general guide, the values provided should be regarded as estimates since we are not certified nutritionists. brands that were purchased, naturally occurring variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Additionally, depending on their sources, different online calculators produce various results. Utilize your preferred nutrition calculator to calculate the nutritional information for a recipe using the actual ingredients and quantities used.
Steak kew
FAQ
What is Kow in Chinese cooking?
Many Cantonese dishes have the Cantonese word “kow,” which is the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese word “ball,” in the title, indicating that the main ingredients are cut into chunky pieces and stir-fried with large cuts of crisp vegetables.
How do the Chinese make beef so tender?
Steak kew is essentially cubed steak, so what the floopin’ heck is that? But, like, large cubed steak. Like an inch across. Large cubes of meat or fish are referred to in Cantonese cuisine as (which is the Chinese word for ball or sphere).
What does Kew mean in Chinese food?
Sliced beef, usually flank steak, is used in the Taiwanese dish known as “mongolian beef,” which is typically prepared with onions. The beef is frequently not spicy and served with scallions or mixed vegetables.