Stir-Fried Beef with Sugar Peas

Remember to work quickly when you make any stir-fried dish. Have everything cut and measured before you start cooking. Cook the meat and vegetables just until they are tender. 


1 lb. lean steak (any boneless cut) 
1 tbsp. soy sauce 
1 tbsp. oyster sauce (optional) 
2 tbsp. cornstarch 
1 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp. sugar
 2 c. sugar (snow) peas* 
4 tbsp. vegetable oil 
½ tsp. salt 
½ c. sliced water chestnuts or bamboo shoots
½ c. sliced mushrooms 

• Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. (Meat is easier to cut thinly when it is partly frozen.)
• Marinate beef in mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and sugar. Set aside.
• Remove stems and strings from sugar peas, leaving pods intact. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
• Put 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a hot skillet or wok. Add salt, sugar peas, water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until peas become a dark green (about 2 minutes). Remove to a bowl.
• In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Add beef mixture and stir constantly until beef is almost done (about 5 minutes).
• Return sugar peas, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the skillet and mix well until heated through.