Stir Fried Beef with Pineapple & Pickled Ginger (紫蘿牛肉)

There are two special ingredients to make this beef stir-fried dish so different and intriguing.

When I was a young kid in Hong Kong, I tried this dish at a restaurant for dinner. I just fell in love with the first bite of the pineapple and pickled ginger. If you like the classic sweet and sour pork dish, you don’t want to miss to try this one. The savoury juicy beef is so tender, got balanced its taste so well with the two sweet and sour ingredients.

A side note, in Hong Kong, we used to make this dish with the pickled ginger bought from markets. It tastes sweet and sour with pale yellow in colour. Here in Australia, I can’t easily get those pickled ginger. So I tried the sushi ginger and found it wonderfully worked for this recipe.

Stir Fried Beef with Pineapple & Pickled Ginger Recipe

(Printable recipe) By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Stir-fry, Fruit, Beef
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 200 gm pineapple flesh, peeled and cut in thick slices
• 150 gm beef
• 1 garlic, sliced
• 1 red chilli, julienned
• ½ green capsicum, deseeded and cut in pieces
• salt, to taste
• 40 gm pickled ginger

Marinade:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp corn flour / corn starch
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp oil

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp water
• ½ tsp corn flour / corn starch
• 1 tsp raw sugar (or white sugar)
• ½ tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp ketchup

Method:

1. Soak the pineapple slices in salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain well.
2. Slice the beef into thin slices across the grain. Mix with marinade. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add beef and spread it to one layer. Pan fry both sides until the colour changes, about 80% done. Set aside.
4. Add some oil in the same wok. Decrease heat to medium. Saute garlic and red chilli. Add capsicum. Season with salt. Stir to combine. Stir in the pineapple slices. Toss back the beef in wok. Pour in the sauce and cook to your preferred consistency. Add the pickled ginger. Serve immediately.

Notes：

• If you can’t get fresh pineapple, you might use the canned one, with natural juice inside.
• The best cut for making stir fry dishes is beef fillet. Beef skirt / shirt steak comparatively inexpensive, is also a good choice.