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10/18/2004 Archived Entry: "Quick-cooked Steak Strips"

Scanning my unpublished recipe files for something to share, I came across this – thin slices of steak, marinated the way they might in Calcutta, where meat like this is a street food. If you put a premium on tenderness, it pays to use a high-quality cut of beef when making fast-cooked dishes like this, including stir-fried dishes. Lesser quality beef will turn out dry and chewy.

The meat cooks in – literally – seconds, and makes a wonderful hot, dinner sandwich filling. Tuck the meat into warm pita, or lavosh, or a flour tortilla, with diced tomato, sliced raw red onion, and sliced raw hot peppers. Add lettuce if you like. If you must have a sauce, drizzle with plain yogurt. A good way to make a yogurt sauce is to drain the yogurt overnight (in a coffee filter, in a strainer, over a bowl, in the refrigerator), then reconstitute the yogurt with water. It will be much more viscous than fresh yogurt.

Calcutta Beef Strips
Serves 2 to 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ tablespoons grated, fresh, peeled ginger
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
¼ to ½ teaspoons ground cayenne pepper (to taste)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound, ¾- to 1-inch thick boneless shell steak
(top loin strip steak), cut into crosswise ¼-inch slices

In a small bowl, blend together 1 tablespoon oil with the ginger, garlic, cayenne, turmeric, salt, and black pepper.

Add the meat and massage with the marinade.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, no more than 24.

Get a heavy skillet very hot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the meat, separating the meat and tossing it, cooking until done to taste. Rare takes less than a minute.