Thai Stir-fried beef with Red Peppers and Pak Choi

Serves 16

Ingredients

  • 2.4kg (5 ¼ lb) rump or sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain
  • 8tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
  • 8tbsp oyster sauce
  • 8 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 8tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil
  • 6 large red peppers, quartered, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 8 heads pak-choy, root end trimmed, then sliced across about 1cm (1/2 in) thick
  • 4-6 small chillies, deseeded and chopped
  • 8tbsp roughly chopped basil (only chop when you need it as it goes black if chopped in advance)
  • Lime wedges, to serve

Method 

  1. Place the sliced beef in a bowl, add half the fish sauce, half the oyster sauce and half the chopped garlic. Stir to mix and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours if possible, or even longer if you can. 
  2. Heat half the oil in a wok (or large frying pan), add the red pepper and toss over the heat for a couple of minutes, then add the pak choy. Keep tossing over the heat until just tender, then add the remaining garlic and the chillies. Cook for another 10 seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining oil in the wok or pan, and when it is very hot, add the beef, drained from any marinade (reserve the marinade for later). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time, or until cooked through.
  4. Return the vegetables to the wok, add the remaining fish sauce, oyster sauce and marinade and toss over the heat for 30 seconds. Taste and add more fish sauce and oyster sauce if you wish. Remove from the heat and stir in the roughly chopped basil, and serve immediately with a wedge of lime on the side of each plate with steamed rice or noodles.