Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry is a quick and tasty weeknight or date night dinner that can be pulled together quickly.

We live too far away from restaurants to enjoy the convenience of take-out or home delivery when life happens.  If we’re in the mood for Asian food, it’s a good 20-minute drive and often not something we feel like doing on a moment’s notice — especially after a long day.

A well-stocked pantry is how we pull off an authentic Asian-inspired meal when the craving hits like this Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry.

The asparagus found late in the spring is going to be a bit thicker than what you find earlier in the season making it perfect for this recipe!

What are basic Asian ingredients to have on hand?

Basic ingredients to keep on hand so you can always pull off an Asian-style meal include:

• Soy sauce or tamari
• Toasted sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Oyster sauce
• Sesame seeds
• Fish sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Black bean sauce
• Mirin
• Dry sherry, white wine or Shao-xing cooking wine
• Chili garlic sauce
• Sriracha

What is the best cut of beef to use for stir-fry?

I used the tail of a beef tenderloin. Whenever we are in the mood for a good steak, I buy a whole tenderloin on sale and have the butcher trim. Whole beef tenderloin is a much better price per pound than buying individual steaks.

From one whole tenderloin, we normally get three steak dinners for the two of us, the tail end for recipes like this and approximately two pounds of ground trimmings for the best burger ever!

However, for this recipe you can also use:

• Flank steak
• Skirt steak
• Sirloin

Tips for making beef easier to slice for stir-fry:

To make slicing the beef easier, place the cut in the freezer for about an hour.  Then, thinly slice it against the grain.  Slicing against the grain will yield a more tender result.

Tips for making stir-fries:

• When doing any type of stir-fry, all the ingredients should be prepped and ready to cook.
• I do the vegetables first and remove them from the heat at the point of how we like them cooked (which is crisp-tender) then transfer them to a bowl.
• After everything has been cooked to your preferred doneness, I bring the sauce to a boil for thickening, then add the protein and vegetables back in to be heated through.

How to make Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry:

• Gather and prep the ingredients for the stir-fry:
  • Beef (I used the tail of beef tenderloin)
  • Soy sauce
  • Dry sherry, white wine or Shao-xing cooking wine
  • Sesame oil
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Asparagus
  • Scallions
  • Sesame seeds

• Toss the beef with soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours if using flank, skirt or sirloin.
• Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before browning.

• Gather and prep the ingredients for the sauce:
  • Beef broth or stock
  • Soy sauce
  • Oyster sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Brown sugar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Cornstarch
  • Chili garlic sauce
  • Canola or vegetable oil

• Combine the ingredients for the sauce.

• Heat the oil and stir-fry the asparagus for 1-2 minutes or until it turns bright green.

• Add the scallion and give it a quick stir.

• Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and push them to one side to make room for the beef.
• Refresh the oil and brown the beef in batches. Transfer the beef to the bowl, but don’t place it over the vegetables. The heat from the beef will cause the vegetables to continue cooking.

• When all the beef has been browned, pour the sauce into the wok and bring to a boil.
• Cook until the sauce begins to thicken.

• Transfer the beef and the vegetables to the sauce and heat through.
• Garnish with sesame seeds and serve!

That’s it!

This intensely flavored sauce pairs best with beef.  Try broccoli, broccolini or pea pods in place of the asparagus and add color with carrots and brightly colored bell peppers.  Serve this Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry over Asian-style noodles or rice.

Tip for using leftover fresh ginger:

Whenever I purchase fresh ginger, I purchase more than what I will actually need.  I peel it, coarsely chop it, then place it in a mini food processor with some water to create a purée.  I use what I need for the dish I’m making, then freeze the remainder in small portions in either snack-size zip-top bags or mall plastic containers.

Ginger sold in jars or tubes will work in a pinch.  However, it often contains ingredients besides ginger.

More easy Asian-inspired recipes:

• Spicy Asian Pork Cabbage Rolls
• Asian Barbecue Chicken Meatballs
• Japanese Beef and Shishito Pepper Skewers
• Hoisin Glazed Pork Meatballs and Rice Noodles with Cabbage and Carrots
• Korean Braised Chicken Thighs
• Sichuan Bang Bang Chicken

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