Honestly this has to be the first dish in a long time where I haven’t had to add any spice or extra flavors to make it just right. The heat from the chilies was really nice and I was amazed at the simple flavor combination that balanced the dish out. If you don’t like a lot of heat I would omit the Sriracha sauce and cut back on the chilies. Overall I would make this again, the only change I would make is I have to get used to the mint flavor so I might leave that out.
I had done the cook’s note on making the sweet soy sauce instead of buying another bottle of something I wouldn’t use. I LOVED this and I’m making extra to have on hand now haha.
Spicy Mint Beef
(Adapted from Weeknights with Giada by Giada De Laurentiis)
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Thai or Serrano chilies, cored and thinly sliced
3 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper,cored, seeded and thinly sliced
¼ cup Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (see cook’s notes)
2 tablespoons black soy sauce (see cook’s notes)
1 tablespoon chili paste in oil, or Sriracha sauce
1 (1-pound) sirloin steak, very thinly sliced
1 ½ cups chopped fresh basil leaves, preferable Thai
1 cup fresh mint leaves
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chilies and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Add the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce, and chili paste.
Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the steak and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes for medium.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and mint until wilted.
Cook’s Note: In place of the sweet and black soy sauces, if you do not have them, use ¼ cup regular soy sauce mixed with ¼ cup honey or sugar.
