Hot Sesame Beef

For my homecooked Chinese take-out meal, I also made a spicy beef dish from this cookbook my mom had given me. It was really good, but I should probably warn you, VERY spicy. I'm sure you could adjust the amount of red chile, chile flakes, or chili oil to acheive just the right amount of heat for your taste. Also, you end up cooking the beef twice, so be careful not to overcook it the first time or it will end up overdone.

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb 2 oz beef fillet, cut into thin strips (I just bought the meat that comes already sliced and says "stir fry meat" on it and cut each piece in half. Not the stew meat, which can be really tough)
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/2 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. grated fresh gingerroot (I just used ground ginger)
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely (I always just use the jarred stuff)
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. chile flakes
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (I just used frozen broccoli florets)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 red chile, seeded and sliced finely
1 Tbsp. chile oil, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Directions:
Mix the beef strips with 1 Tbsp. of the sesame seeds in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the beef stock, soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic, cornstarch, and chile flakes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the beef strips for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Discard any oil left in the pan, then wipe with paper towels to remove any stray sesame seeds. Heat the reamaining oil, add the broccoli, red bell pepper, chile, and chili oil, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the beef stock mixture, cover, and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Return the beef to the skillet and let simmer until the juices thicken, stirring occasionally. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and garnish with chopped cilantro.