Spicy Southwestern Steak Stir Fry with Cilantro-Lime Rice

I have been loving making quick stir fry dishes lately.  Selecting fresh seasonal ingredients, favorite protein sources and preparing a scrumptious meal in less than 30 minutes.  When I recently shared Spicy Garlic Sriracha Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry, I was kicking myself for not making stir fry more often (and candidly a number of you commented to the same effect).  I’m not sure why it has not been coming to mind, perhaps with colder weather heavier comfort foods pop to mind more readily.  Today I have a fix for that!

As I post this I’m traveling in the Southwest rounding some delicious recipes to share with you.  Southwestern cuisine is known for its earthy chilies which deliver not only some heat but really deep, serious flavor as well.  It truly is my favorite type of food and the opportunity to go try new food, meet new chefs, see what is showing at the Farmer’s Market is incredibly exciting for me!  We are even taking a cooking class from the Santa Fe Cooking School and they’ve offered up some recipes for me to share with you too!

In the mindset of the flavors of the Southwest, I whipped up this Spicy Southwestern Steak Stir Fry recipe.   Thinly sliced top sirloin is marinated overnight in a cilantro-cumin-red pepper marinade then quick stir fried in a wok or skillet with corn, red pepper, red onion, jalapeno and a chipotle-lime sauce all served with Cilantro Lime Rice.  The steak gives it a more substantial feel however with the slices being about 1/8 inch thick, the dish is not heavy.  It’s a very flavorful and satisfying dish that will have your diners wanting more!

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Spicy Southwestern Steak Stir Fry with Cilantro-Lime Rice

This recipe has deep, fresh flavors of the Southwest whipped up in a quick stir fry. Marinated top sirloin steak strips, red pepper, jalapeno rings, corn and onion over Cilantro-Lime Rice create a filling but light meal.The majority of the recipe time is the overnight marinating of the steak slices. The stir fry may be made while the Cilantro-Lime Rice is cooking. Be sure to have the ingredients for the rice and stir fry prepared and available before beginning to cook as the stir fry goes quickly!

Prep Time 13 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Steak and Marinade:

• 1 pound Top Sirloin Steak , cut against the grain (across the steak) into thin 1/8 inch slices
• 2 tablespoons Tamari Sauce (low-sodium Soy Sauce may be substituted if the dish will not be gluten-free)
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed Lime Juice (approximately 3 limes)
• ¼ cup Sunflower Oil
• 2 tablespoons Cilantro , chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground Cumin
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 4 large Garlic Cloves , chopped
• 1 medium Shallot , diced
• 1 teaspoon Red Chile Pepper Flakes

Ingredients for the Cilantro-Lime Rice:

• 1 cup Long Grain White or Jasmin Rice
• 1 cup low sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Water ¼ cup chopped Cilantro
• Zest of 1 Lime
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed Lime Juice

Ingredients for the Stir Fry:

• 3 tablespoons Tamari Sauce (low-sodium Soy Sauce may be substituted if not making the recipe gluten-free)
• 2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce (can use it from Chipotle en Adobo just do not use the peppers themselves)
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
• Juice of ½ Lime
• 2 tablespoons Sunflower Oil
• 1 large Garlic Clove , diced
• ½ Red Onion , sliced in 1/8-inch rings
• 1 cup Corn Kernels (fresh or frozen; take frozen corn out of the freezer when beginning to cook, they do not need to be fully thawed)
• 1 large Red Pepper , seeded and cut into 1/8-inch vertical strips
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper , stem and seeds removed, cut into thin rings

Instructions

To Prepare the Marinade:

1. Place all the marinade ingredients into a sealable container or a 1 gallon zipper plastic bag (tamari, lime juice, sunflower oil, cilantro, cumin, apple cider vinegar, garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes); do not add the steak yet. Seal the container or bag and shake to combine all the ingredients.
2. Add the steak slices and stir or massage (if in a bag) to cover all the steak with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

To Prepare the Cilantro-Lime Rice:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, chicken stock and water. Bring to a low boil, reduce temperature to low, cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes (or for the length recommended on the rice package). Note: if substituting brown rice, the cooking time will be longer; consult your rice package for exact timing, it’s usually doubled.
2. Once the rice is done, remove it from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice. Stir together with a fork.

To Prepare the Stir Fry (start the stir fry 15 minutes into the rice cooking time to complete at the same time):

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari sauce, adobo sauce, cornstarch and lime juice. Set aside.
2. Place a colander in the sink and pour the contents of the marinade container/bag into the colander. Allow it to drain for a minute and shake it to release any excess liquid. Don’t work about any of the solid ingredients remaining on the steak.
3. In a large skillet or wok over high, heat 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil. When ripples can be seen on the oil’s surface add the steak.
4. Allow steak to sear for about 30 seconds and then continuously stir the beef until there is no visible pink color remaining; about 3-3 1/3 minutes. _Note: with this recipe it may be difficult to see the pink color due to the marinade. 3 ½ minutes should be enough time to cook the beef without over cooking it; it should still be moist. Remove from the skillet/work and set aside. Any excess marinade which was released during the cooking of the steak may be drained before proceeding.
5. Add the remaining tablespoon of sunflower oil over medium-high heat. When ripples are visible on the oil’s surface, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
6. Add the red onion rings and continue to stir until the onions become limp; about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, corn and jalapeno rings. Continue to stir until the vegetables are cooked but not limp; 3-5 minutes.
7. Return the steak to the skillet/wok, along with the sauce prepared in the first step (tamari-adobo). Stir rapidly to coat the ingredients; 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Serve immediately.