Asian Beef and Cauliflower Stew
Meet the Cook: Next to hamburger, round steak probably is the most frequent dinner guest at our place! Im always experimenting with recipes, changing them to fit our tastesthis ones easy and good. Our little town has a post office, a cafe, two gas stations and two country stores. My husband and I have a pair of sons, 13 and 9, and a daughter, 7. I work part-time in the cafeteria at their school (its small, with only about 100 students or so) helping prepare lunch. -Deborah Cole, Wolf Creek, Oregon
Meet the Cook: Next to hamburger, round steak probably is the most frequent dinner guest at our place! Im always experimenting with recipes, changing them to fit our tastesthis ones easy and good. Our little town has a post office, a cafe, two gas stations and two country stores. My husband and I have a pair of sons, 13 and 9, and a daughter, 7. I work part-time in the cafeteria at their school (its small, with only about 100 students or so) helping prepare lunch. -Deborah Cole, Wolf Creek, Oregon
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1-1/2 pounds lean round steak cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small head cauliflower separated into florets
- 1 green pepper cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce or regular soy sauce
- 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot optional
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup green onions sliced
- cooked rice
- Carbohydrate 14.0342818133513 g
- Cholesterol 85.04875 mg
- Fat 9.55892007929859 g
- Fiber 1.71484329660067 g
- Protein 34.7705914522604 g
- Saturated Fat 2.30063459954702 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (291g)
- Sodium 624.9393448911 mg
- Sugar 12.3194385167507 g
- Trans Fat 1.40175971095288 g
- Calories 287 calories
Step-by-step
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high.
- Brown meat on all sides.
- Add broth; cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour.
- Add cauliflower, green pepper, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root if desired.
- Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Combine cornstarch, sugar and water.
- Stir into meat mixture.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until thickened.
- Stir in green onions.
- Serve on rice.
Operating under the limitation of budget-friendly lean round steak requires understanding how tough cuts respond to prolonged braising, because failing to simmer the beef until completely tender yields unchewable protein rather than meltingly soft cubes. Searing the meat over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet creates the initial Maillard reaction needed for deep savory development before the beef broth goes into the pan. Allowing the covered meat to simmer for a full sixty minutes breaks down the collagen thoroughly while infusing the liquid with rich, concentrated beef flavor.
Swapping the vegetables based on seasonal market availability alters the cooking timeline significantly, since denser roots like carrots demand a longer braising duration than delicate cruciferous heads. Cauliflower florets and green pepper chunks require only five to seven minutes of simmering in the seasoned broth to reach crisp-tender doneness without turning mushy. Testing doneness without a thermometer relies strictly on visual and textural evaluation, pressing a fork tine into the center of a cauliflower floret to ensure it yields with slight resistance.
Thickening the simmering liquid requires dissolving three tablespoons of cornstarch thoroughly in cold water before incorporating it into the hot broth to prevent stubborn lumps from forming in the sauce. Stirring the mixture constantly while bringing it back to a full boil activates the starch molecules, producing a glossy sheen and a clingy viscosity that coats the meat evenly. Boiling the thickened liquid for precisely two minutes cooks out any raw starch taste, leaving behind a clean savory flavor that clings to the grains of cooked rice underneath.
Finishing the dish with sliced green onions added off the heat introduces a fresh, pungent sharpness that contrasts against the rich soy and ginger base. Fresh gingerroot grated directly into the broth provides a brighter, more volatile aromatic punch than dried ginger powder, though the optional root can be omitted entirely if a milder profile is preferred. Storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days allows the flavors to meld further, though the cauliflower will soften progressively during storage.
