Beef with Cucumber and Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb beef for stir fry
• 1 large cucumber

Marinade:

• 2 Tbsp Double Black Soy
• 1 Tbsp Black Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine or Sherry
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp fermented black beans
• 2 cloves garlic

Cooking:

• 1 Tbsp peanut oil (for cooking)

Method:

1. Preparation:
   1. Slice beef into bite-sized slices.
   2. Peel the cucumber (if necessary). Slice into slices roughly equivalent to the beef slices.
   3. For the marinade, add the cornstarch last. Marinate with the marinade in a bowl for 20 - 30 minutes.
   4. To prepare sauce, rinse the beans and feel for stones (sometimes they get through). Put in mortar and pestle with 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Grind the two together.
2. To cook:
   1. Heat wok.
   2. Add peanut oil.
   3. Add black beans and garlic and saute in oil until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
   4. Add marinated beef. Stir it like you mean it. You can let the slices sit to sear if you like.
   5. When beef is 9/10 cooked, add cucumbers and stir-fry with beef. Turn off heat and let coast.

Serve on rice.