Hawaiian Beef Stir-fry
Mmmm... Hawaiian Beef gets all my tastes buds going. It's savory, sweet and just a little bit tangy from fresh ginger and juicy pineapple. This is a great dish if you've got fresh pineapple on hand but canned pineapple works beautifully too.
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I like to keep the fruit and vegetables fresh in this stir-fry so the snap peas still have some snap and the tomatoes hold their shape. Use Romas or another small meaty tomato for best results.
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The garlic and ginger really make this sing too. Fresh is best!
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Garnished with a bit of sliced scallion and a sprinkle of black sesame seed its' so pretty.
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I use an inexpensive cut of beef for this recipe because when sliced thinly and correctly against the grain then cooked quickly, round steak makes a perfectly tender stir-fry. Look closely at the meat before slicing to be sure you are slicing against the natural grain of the steak or you may end up with a less than perfect texture.
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I also leave the steak just a little pink before adding it back into the stir-fry. This keeps it from being overcooked when bringing the sauce to a final boil so that the sauce can thicken.
Once the ingredients are prepped this stir-fry takes only 15 minutes and dinner is served!
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Start by letting the beef slices marinate while prepping the stir-fry sauce. Then start heating up the pan while prepping the veggies. As soon as the pan is hot you can start frying the beef in two batches. It only takes about 3 minutes per batch. Don't crowd the pan because you don't want the beef to steam or worse yet boil. Leaving space between the slices will allow the liquids to evaporate more rapidly.
Remove the beef to a plate or bowl while you stir-fry the veggies.
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Add the beef and stir-fry sauce to the veggies when they are ready and bring the whole thing to a boil for just a minute to thicken the sauce and it's done!
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Click through the images below for a better look.
I like to use a simple white calrose or jasmine rice for this recipe but brown rice would be very nice too.
I hope you will enjoy this taste of the islands. Try it and let me know what you think.
Cheers!
~Melisa
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Spicy Pork Stir-fry
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Hawaiian Beef Stir-fry
Ingredients
For the Stir-fry
2 large round steak sliced thinly across the grain
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 can pineapple chunks or 1/2 a fresh pineapple
1 cup snap peas
4 oz baby corn
2 small Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon peanut or canola oil
2 chopped scallions and black sesame seeds for garnish
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For the Marinade
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1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/3 of the minced garlic
1/3 of the minced ginger
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For the Stir-Fry Sauce
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2-3 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
2-3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 of the minced garlic
1/3 of the minced ginger
1/2 cup cold water
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Method
Add the marinade ingredients to thinly sliced beef and allow to marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
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Add all of the stir-fry sauce ingredients to a container you can pour from and mix well. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
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When all of the ingredients are ready, heat a wok or large heavy skillet to medium high heat. When the pan is very hot, add 2 tablespoons of peanut or canola oil and then 1/2 the beef. Stir-fry until lightly browned and remove it from the pan. Immediately add the rest of the beef and stir-fry until browned but still a little pink. Remove this and add it to the first batch.
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Add 1 more teaspoon of oil to the pan then stir-fry the remaining 1/3 of the minced garlic and remaining 1/3 of the minced ginger for about 30 seconds. Add the sliced onion and stir-fry two minutes then add the pineapple. Stir-fry 2 more minutes then add the baby corn and snap peas. After 2 more minutes add the tomatoes and beef to the pan.
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Pour in the Stir-fry sauce and bring it to a boil for one minutes.
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Serve over white rice with chopped scallion and black sesame seeds for garnish.