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Chinese Marinade Adds Flavor To Meat, Vegetables

Marian Burros New York Times Service

In this meal of warm steak with vegetables served over rice, the Chinese marinade does double duty: It adds flavor to the flank steak and it goes on to season the vegetables. The steak can be prepared either in the broiler or on a stove-top grill.

Chinese Steak with Asparagus and Rice

1 cup long-grain rice

8 ounces flank steak

1 large clove garlic

Fresh or frozen ginger to yield 1 tablespoon, coarsely grated

3 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 pound asparagus

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 pound plain white mushrooms or portobello mushrooms

1/2 pound snow peas

2 scallions

Prepare broiler if using; cover broiler pan with aluminum foil.

Combine rice with 2 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes total.

Wash and dry steak and score on the diagonal to make a diamond pattern.

Crush garlic and grate ginger. Combine them in a bowl with wine, soy sauce and honey; stir well and add the steak, stirring to coat well.

Wash and trim the asparagus by breaking the stems at the point where they yield easily.

Heat a large nonstick skillet until hot. Reduce heat to medium. Add sesame oil, canola oil and asparagus. Saute, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare stove-top grill, if using. Remove steak from marinade and broil or grill for 5 minutes or more, until meat is medium rare and brown on both sides.

While steak cooks, wash and trim the mushrooms, and slice thickly. Add to skillet with asparagus.

Wash and string snow peas, and cut in half crosswise. Add to the asparagus and mushrooms, and cook another minute, until asparagus is firm but tender.

Wash, trim and slice scallions.

Add remaining marinade to vegetables and cook over low heat until marinade is heated through.

When meat is ready, slice thinly on the diagonal and arrange on the plate. Mound the rice on the plate, and top with the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with scallions.

Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 750 calories, 15 grams fat (18 percent fat calories), 50 milligrams cholesterol, 335 milligrams sodium, 50 grams protein, 105 grams carbohydrate.

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