Grilled Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Mandarin Orange Sauce

This light, bright mandarin orange sauce is a little sweet, a little tangy, a little spicy, and a whole lot flavorful. If you don’t have lemongrass, use large strips of fresh lemon peel—big enough to remove easily before pureeing the remainder of the ingredients. (For another recipe using lemongrass, check out Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Lemongrass Sauce.)

Although I included red meat in this recipe, the dish is still lean and nutritious. Once the fat is removed from the steaks after grilling, each serving contains about three ounces of thinly sliced beef.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 11-oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 3 red or green Thai chiles, finely chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass (light part only), trimmed and cut crosswise into 4 pieces
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

Partial Sauce Ingredients

For the Beef and Vegetables

• peanut oil, for brushing, plus 1 tbsp
• 2 8-oz rib-eye or New York strip steaks, 1-inch thick
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tsp water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups 2-inch green bean pieces
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cups thin slices of mild peppers and hot chiles (to taste), in a variety of colors

Seasoned Steaks Ready to Grill

Stir-Fry Vegetables and Garlic

Preparation

For the Sauce

1. Strain the oranges, reserving the syrup in a small bowl. Place half the oranges in another small bowl and reserve for the stir-fry. Coarsely chop the remaining half.
2. Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the oil. Add the chiles, lemongrass, shallot, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and very fragrant, 2 minutes.
3. Add the reserved syrup, chopped oranges, soy sauce, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly, 5 minutes.

Sauce Solids Beginning to Cook

Sauce with Liquids Beginning to Simmer

1. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Discard the lemongrass pieces and place the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Process until the solids are minced. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl. 

Mandarin Orange Sauce

For the Beef and Vegetables

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil (or prepare an outdoor grill). Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill until medium-rare, 3-4 minutes per side. (Don’t overcook the steaks on the grill—the meat will cook again in the stir-fry.)
2. Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Trim the steaks of as much fat as possible and cut the beef into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick.

Grilled Steaks

Grilled Steak Slices

1. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. (Re-stir before using.)
2. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the green beans and garlic and stir-fry 1 minute.
3. Add the broccoli, peppers, and chiles and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Add the steak slices, mandarin orange sauce, and cornstarch mixture (re-stir before adding). Stir-fry until the beef is hot throughout and the sauce barely thickens to a velvety texture, 2-3 minutes.

Green Beans and Garlic Beginning to Cook

Broccoli and Peppers Added

Stir-Fry with Beef and Sauce Added

Divide the stir-fry among 4 shallow bowls and garnish with the reserved mandarin oranges.