Family Recipe Friday : Green Pepper Steak

The garden's bounty brings another family recipe from mom's collection:


When the peppers are plentiful in the garden, you make pepper steak.  A good family dish, you can use economy beef, either chuck or round and cook it until tender; then add vegetables.  You can prepare the beef ahead and refrigerate just before adding the vegetables.  Serve with a fruit dessert and breadsticks.

    1 pound beef chuck or round, fat trimmed                       
    1/4 cup soy sauce                                              
    1 clove garlic                                                 
    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger                                     
    1/4 cup salad oil                                              
    1 cup onions,thinly sliced                                     
    1 cup red and green pepper cut into 1-in pieces                
    2 stalks celery, thinly sliced                                 
    1 tablespoon cornstarch                                        
    1 cup water                                                    
    2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (optional)   

    Rice (according to package)                   

With a very sharp knife, cut beef across grain into think strips, 1/8 inch thick.   Combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger.   Add beef.  Toss and set aside while preparing vegetables.  Heat oil in large frying pan or wok.   Add beef and toss over high heat until browned.  Taste meat.   If it is not tender, cover and simmer for 30-to 40 minutes over low heat.  Turn up heat and add vegetables.   Toss until vegetables are crisp, about 10 min.   Mix cornstarch and water.   Add to pan; stir and cook until thickened.   Add tomatoes, if desired and heat through.   Serve over rice if you like or not.

(I don't particular like hot tomatoes and therefore don't add them.   Sliced tomatoes can be served on the side.   Red peppers add color to the pepper steak mix and you can use yellow for even more color.)


Family Recipe Friday - is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike.  Whether it's an old fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them of Family Recipe Friday.  This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.