Spicy Beef with Cumin

This one is going to change your mind about cooking Chinese at home; it’s as good as the real thing. Put a 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pound flank steak in the freezer for twenty minutes, and then slice it thinly across the grain into two to three inch pieces. Next, peel and halve a large onion and slice into quarter inch wide pieces.

In a large bowl, combine approximately two tablespoons of ground cumin, a tablespoon each of soy sauce and cornstarch, two teaspoons of sesame oil, a teaspoon each of sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper, half a teaspoon of kosher salt, and three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the meat and onion to the bowl and mix together until well coated. Set aside for fifteen minutes.

Put a bit of oil into a hot pan then add the meat and onions. Stir occasionally for about six minutes, and then add a quarter cup of chicken broth and a handful of cilantro leaves. Use a spatula to toss and scrape the bottom of the pan while cooking for another few minutes. Serve immediately.