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Savory Beef and Lettuce Stir-Fry

Enjoy the crispy texture of lettuce with this 'Beef and Lettuce Stir-Fry' recipe, prepared to prevent sogginess. This easy dish, made by simply shredding and searing, results in an addictive creation that pairs perfectly with rice. It's also ideal for using up a lot of lettuce.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

First, place the 300g of lettuce, torn into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces, into a salad spinner. [Key Tip!] Tearing the lettuce into slightly larger pieces helps prevent it from becoming soggy when stir-fried.
🕒 00:39
Briefly rinse the torn lettuce under running water.
🕒 02:10
Thoroughly drain the washed lettuce in the salad spinner several times (about 3 times) until no water remains. [Key Tip!] To prevent a soggy stir-fry, it's crucial to thoroughly remove moisture from the lettuce.
🕒 02:16
Measure out 300g of the drained lettuce.
🕒 03:16
Store the remaining lettuce in a food storage bag, such as an "Aiwrap," remove excess air, and keep it in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator.
🕒 03:42
Place the 200g of thinly sliced beef into a plastic bag. [Key Tip!] Thinly sliced beef is recommended for stir-fries as it offers various textures and rich flavor.
🕒 05:48
Prepare 1 piece of beef fat. [Key Tip!] Adding beef fat enhances the sweetness and richness of the dish.
🕒 06:14
To the plastic bag containing the beef, add [A] 1 tbsp Soy Sauce, [A] 2 tbsp Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), [A] 2 tbsp Cooking Sake (Rice Wine), [A] 1 tsp Sugar, [A] 1 clove Grated Garlic (approx. 8g), [A] 1/2 tsp Chicken Bouillon Powder (Reduced Sodium), and [A] 1 tsp Potato Starch. Mix thoroughly by kneading. [Key Tip!] Adding potato starch helps the sauce adhere better, prevents the meat from drying out, and thickens the moisture released from the lettuce, preventing the flavor from becoming diluted.
🕒 06:24
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. [Key Tip!] To prevent the lettuce from becoming soggy, the key is to stir-fry quickly over high heat.
🕒 08:11
Add about 1 tbsp of oil to the heated frying pan, then add the drained lettuce and stir-fry at once. [Key Tip!] If the pan seems too dry at the beginning of stir-frying, adding about 2 tsp of water will help it cook more evenly.
🕒 08:26
Once the lettuce starts to wilt, add a pinch of salt and mix briefly.
🕒 10:06
When the lettuce has some browning and has reduced in volume, turn off the heat and transfer it to a bowl. [Key Tip!] If there is any remaining liquid in the frying pan after stir-frying, do not transfer this liquid to the bowl; discard it.
🕒 10:42
Add 1 piece of beef fat and about 1 tbsp of oil to the frying pan and melt the beef fat over medium heat.
🕒 11:11
Once the beef fat has melted, add all of the seasoned beef and stir-fry quickly until no pink color remains.
🕒 11:42
Add the lettuce back from the bowl to the stir-fried beef and mix briefly to coat with the beef's juices and sauce.
🕒 12:27
Plate the finished Savory Beef and Lettuce Stir-Fry, arranging it to create height. [Key Tip!] Stir-fries are best enjoyed immediately after cooking, so it's recommended to serve and eat right away.
🕒 13:32