I got this recipe from epicurious, although I made so many alterations that it's barely the same recipe. The original didn't have soy sauce or garlic, and it didn't have you marinate the meat, which I think made a huge difference in flavor and texture. I've noticed that a lot of the recipes on epicurious are pretty bland if followed exactly. I always read the reviews first.

Sesame-ginger is one of my favorite flavor combinations. This dish was very yummy. So yummy that I'm adding it to the recipe archiverecipe archive after only making it once. The nuttiness of the brown rice paired very well with the stir-fry. This could have been garnished with toasted sesame seeds but I didn't think of it until later. The original recipe recommended serving this with a cucumber, red bell pepper, and sweet onion salad with rice wine dressing. Looking back, I don't think this was really necessary. You already have your protein, vegetable, and starch in one dish. The salad was good though, even though the red onion I bought to add to it turned out to be rotten in the middle (eww). The dressing was improvised and I've posted the approximated amounts below.

1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound lean top sirloin, sliced into thin strips
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, divided
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small bunch green onions, cut on diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces

In a medium bowl combine sesame oil, ginger, garlic, broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Add the strips of meat and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30-45 minutes.

(If serving with brown rice, which takes about 45 minutes to cook, start cooking the rice now. The rice should be almost ready when you start stir-frying.)

Strain the meat, reserving the marinade. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Remove the cooked meat to a plate and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same skillet. Add the asparagus and green onions. Sauté until crisp tender.

Add the cornstarch to the reserved marinade. Pour over the vegetables and bring to a boil. Return meat to the skillet and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Rice Vinegar Dressing

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
juice from half a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of salt