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Beef and Rice Cake Stir-Fry

By Maggie Zhu

Published on April 30, 2025

Time

35 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Beef and Rice Cake Stir-Fry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon cornstarch ⅛ teaspoon baking soda 8 ounces flank steak, trimmed12 ounces sliced rice cakes 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided½ cup chicken broth 12 ounces bok choy, stalks and greens separated, stalks sliced thin and greens cut into 1-inch pieces2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced into ½-inch pieces2 garlic cloves, sliced thin2 teaspoons minced ginger

Before You Begin

Find sliced rice cakes, refrigerated or frozen, in Asian markets, some supermarkets, or online. If using frozen rice cakes, defrost them before cooking. Dark soy sauce is made from soybeans that have been fermented longer than those used to make soy sauce, and it sometimes also contains sugar. It’s darker, more viscous, and less salty than soy sauce, and it’s worth seeking out and adding to your pantry. This dish comes together quickly, so we recommend prepping each ingredient before cooking.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda together in medium bowl. Slice beef with grain into 2 equal pieces, then slice each piece crosswise against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add to bowl with Shaoxing wine mixture, stirring to coat; set aside.
  2. Place rice cakes in medium bowl, separating any that are stuck together. Cover with cold water and, using your hands, agitate cakes to remove excess starch. Drain well and set aside. Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine together in small bowl; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef in even layer and cook without moving until light golden, about 1 minute. Flip beef and cook until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.
  4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and rice cakes in now-empty skillet over medium heat, stirring to coat rice cakes in oil and spreading into even layer over skillet. Add broth, cover skillet, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 minute. Stir in bok choy stalks and cook, covered, until rice cakes are tender, about 1 minute.
  5. Stir in bok choy greens, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and oyster sauce mixture and cook until greens are wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in beef and any accumulated juices and cook until sauce is reduced slightly and coats rice cakes well, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.
Beef and Rice Cake Stir-Fry
Styling by Ashley Moore.

Beef and Rice Cake Stir-Fry

Headshot of Maggie Zhu
By Maggie Zhu

Published on April 30, 2025

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Time

35 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces flank steak, trimmed
12 ounces sliced rice cakes
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup chicken broth
12 ounces bok choy, stalks and greens separated, stalks sliced thin and greens cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced into ½-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 teaspoons minced ginger

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces flank steak, trimmed
12 ounces sliced rice cakes
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup chicken broth
12 ounces bok choy, stalks and greens separated, stalks sliced thin and greens cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced into ½-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 teaspoons minced ginger

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces flank steak, trimmed
12 ounces sliced rice cakes
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup chicken broth
12 ounces bok choy, stalks and greens separated, stalks sliced thin and greens cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced into ½-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 teaspoons minced ginger

Why This Recipe Works

We love rice cakes’ chew and considerable surface area, which allows sauces to cling easily. In this quick weeknight meal, we pair them with tender steak, crisp bok choy, and a sweet, savory sauce. Coating the thinly sliced beef with a mixture that included cornstarch and baking soda ensured the meat stayed tender and mimicked velveting, giving it a silky feel once cooked. Rinsing the rice cakes rid them of excess surface starch that would otherwise cause them to stick together.

Before You Begin

Find sliced rice cakes, refrigerated or frozen, in Asian markets, some supermarkets, or online. If using frozen rice cakes, defrost them before cooking. Dark soy sauce is made from soybeans that have been fermented longer than those used to make soy sauce, and it sometimes also contains sugar. It’s darker, more viscous, and less salty than soy sauce, and it’s worth seeking out and adding to your pantry. This dish comes together quickly, so we recommend prepping each ingredient before cooking.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda together in medium bowl. Slice beef with grain into 2 equal pieces, then slice each piece crosswise against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add to bowl with Shaoxing wine mixture, stirring to coat; set aside.
  2. Place rice cakes in medium bowl, separating any that are stuck together. Cover with cold water and, using your hands, agitate cakes to remove excess starch. Drain well and set aside. Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine together in small bowl; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef in even layer and cook without moving until light golden, about 1 minute. Flip beef and cook until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.
  4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and rice cakes in now-empty skillet over medium heat, stirring to coat rice cakes in oil and spreading into even layer over skillet. Add broth, cover skillet, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 minute. Stir in bok choy stalks and cook, covered, until rice cakes are tender, about 1 minute.
  5. Stir in bok choy greens, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and oyster sauce mixture and cook until greens are wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in beef and any accumulated juices and cook until sauce is reduced slightly and coats rice cakes well, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallion greens and serve.

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