- 1 pound beef sirloin or flank steak or 2 cups leftover pork, lamb, or beef roast cut in strips (see step 1)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch scallions (green onions)
- 4 cups mung bean sprouts, 1 head shredded romaine lettuce or escarole (4 cups), or 2 cups leftover steamed vegetables
- 1 tablespoon Oriental sesame or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon dried lemon peel
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cut the steak into strips about 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide. Mince the garlic. Thinly slice the scallions including most of the green tops. Shred the lettuce if using.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef (either fresh or leftover), and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the garlic, sugar, lemon peel, soy sauce, and vinegar and stir-fry 30 seconds longer. Stir in the bean sprouts or lettuce and the scallions and stir-fry until the beef is barely cooked and the vegetables have just wilted, about 10 seconds more. Remove the skillet from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Variations:
- Omit the garlic. Substitute a fat bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley, minced, for the scallions.
- To make the dish taste less Chinese, substitute ½ to 1 teaspoon of a prepared condiment such as pesto, black olive paste, chutney, or chili paste for the sugar, lemon peel, soy sauce, and vinegar in step 2.