Ground Beef Stir Fry

 

This was going to be a teriyaki meatball post.  Then the computer at work crashed just as I was about to clock out, plus it was the last very hot day of the year, and I did not want to turn on the oven and spend an hour on a recipe.  As it turns out, throwing odds and ends into a skillet was very good.

I'm used to making beef stir-fry with some kind of steak cut, like flank steak or even a proper roast.  But beef is beef.  You're just getting a different texture, and I've been loading up on ground beef at decent prices.  It didn't take much to turn this into a proper skillet meal.

*1 lb 80/20 ground beef
*1 large carrot
*2 green onions
*1/2 red onion
*1 bag brussels sprouts (or another frozen veggie)
*2 Tb black bean paste
*1 Tb hoisin sauce
*2 Tb soy sauce
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp grated ginger
*cilantro for garnish, optional

1.  If you're having this with rice, get that started.

2.  In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat.  When it is about half cooked (still some pink bits showing) pour off the fat.  You will use the remaining fat instead of adding oil.

3.  Thinly slice the red onion and add to the pan once there's enough fat.  Add garlic and ginger and cook until onions are softened.

4.  While they're cooking, cut green onions into 2" lengths.  Peel the carrots and cut into 2" sticks.  Add to the pan with the frozen sprouts and stir everything together.

5.  Add black bean paste, hoisin, and soy sauce.  Stir everything together and continue cooking until sprouts are done, up to 10 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve with rice.

Difficulty rating  :)