Minced Beef, Salted Veg & Chilli Stir-fry
This stir-fry is my go-to 15-minute supper-for-one. It’s slightly different from regular stir-fries, in that it relies on the saltiness of preserved vegetables to season the dish instead of soy sauce or fish sauce. Salted mustard greens are slightly sour and hot, which makes them a perfect pairing for richer, fattier cuts of meat such as thinly sliced pork belly or fatty minced meat.
Serves 1
- 30g salted preserved mustard greens (about 1 piece) (see here)
- 1–2 bird’s-eye chillies
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
- 100g organic minced beef
- ½ teaspoon unrefined light brown sugar
- a drizzle of sesame oil
- sea salt, to taste
- Rinse the salted preserved mustard greens, and soak briefly in warm water for about 5 minutes just to take away some of their saltiness. Drain, then slice thinly. Finely chop the chillies and garlic.
- Heat a wok on a high heat until almost smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the garlic and preserved mustard greens, stirring constantly for a minute until fragrant.
- Tip in the minced beef, using your spatula to spread it out and break it into small lumps. Stir-fry until the meat is cooked. Add the chillies, sugar and sesame oil, stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a pinch of salt, if necessary.
- Serve immediately, over plain steamed rice or plain congee.
Note: You can also use minced lamb, or minced pork or chicken for a milder dish.
