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Chinese-Style Beef and Eggplant

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on December 12, 2016

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Chinese-Style Beef and Eggplant

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil 1 ½ pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces2 tablespoons soy sauce 12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef 1 red jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin4 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar 4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Before You Begin

We like to serve this dish over rice.

Instructions

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and transfer to plate.
  2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add beef, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes.
  3. Stir in oyster sauce, vinegar, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Return eggplant to skillet with beef and continue to cook until combined and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in half of scallions. Serve, sprinkled with remaining scallions.
Chinese-Style Beef and Eggplant

Chinese-Style Beef and Eggplant

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef
1 red jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef
1 red jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef
1 red jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, seeded, and sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Why This Recipe Works

Tossing eggplant with soy sauce after a thorough sauté seasons the vegetable without imparting any bitter flavor.

Before You Begin

We like to serve this dish over rice.

Instructions

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and transfer to plate.
  2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add beef, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes.
  3. Stir in oyster sauce, vinegar, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Return eggplant to skillet with beef and continue to cook until combined and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in half of scallions. Serve, sprinkled with remaining scallions.

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