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Beef Stir-fry I

A quick beef stir‑fry with escarole, Chinese pea pods, bell pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Ginger and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Beef Stir-fry I

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the beef

  1. Using a sharp knife, held almost parallel to the cutting surface, cut partially frozen flank steak into very thin slices.

  2. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil; add beef; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently until browned.

  3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate; keep warm.

Cook the vegetables

  1. To the drippings in the skillet, add red bell pepper, onion, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper.

  2. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring constantly until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

  3. Add pea pods, escarole, soy sauce and brown sugar.

  4. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly until the pea pods are heated through and the escarole is wilted.

Combine

  1. Stir the beef into the vegetables.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

739Calories
41 gProtein
44 gFat
48 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Peanut1 oz (28g)161
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,038 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Peanut + garlictop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together877 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

  4. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  5. Ginger + garlictop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,402 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Flank steak
Lean, thinly sliced meat that browns quickly in a hot skillet and stays tender when cut across the grain.
Escarole
Leafy greens that wilt quickly, adding bulk and a slight bitterness to the stir-fry.
Pea pods
Keep their bright color and crisp texture when cooked briefly over high heat.
Red bell pepper
Adds sweetness and crisp texture that softens only slightly during quick cooking.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory flavor that seasons the vegetables and beef.

The step that matters

Cook the vegetables until crisp-tender. Stirring constantly over medium-high heat for the stated time softens the vegetables just enough while keeping them crisp. Overcooking turns them limp and dull in color, since heat breaks down cell walls over time.

Swap the peanut

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, pepper, onion, ginger, clove, garlic, sauce):

  1. Sesamefits better
  2. Chickpeafits better
  3. Beansfits better
  4. Peanutthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, pepper, onion, ginger, clove, garlic, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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