Beef Stir Fry featuring Kellie Gregorich

I must say, it warms my meat loving heart to know I’ve got three beef producers in this Thirty Days of Food series.  If you haven’t met Kellie yet, you need to. Kellie does a great job of advocating for Agriculture from Iowa. She grew up a farm girl and continues to share her experiences she’s learned growing up on the farm. both on and off her blog, Kellie for Ag. For Kellie’s feature I decided to take a cut commonly left in the bottom of the freezer (round steak) and make it into a quick and easy meal, beef stir fry. 

Kellie Gregorich
LaMotte, Iowa

Personal History

• What chores did you have growing up on the farm? 

I had chores on the farm my entire life. As I got older the chores got heavier in weight and responsibility. I had bottle calves, fed the chickens, unloaded small square bales, fed all the animals, opened gates for dad, worked in the garden, and helped mom in the house when it was raining. At the time I hated it. Now, I would give the world to do it all over again. Those chores taught me more than work ethic. Those chores defined the person I am today. 

Farming

• What has been the most satisfying part of farming for you?

The most satisfying part of farming is saving lives. There is nothing better than helping an animal in need. They would get that care and love out in the wild. They are all my children and I treat them as if they are. The endorphins you receive from saving lives is incredible.

• What crops (or animals) do you grow and why?

We raise beef cattle and laying hens. I wish I could tell you WHY we raise them, but I really don’t know. I have always had cattle and chickens. My grandfather had cattle and chickens. The generations haven’t changed us of what we enjoy doing.

 Food

• What is your favorite thing to do with a food crop you grow? 

My favorite thing to do with meat is make CHILI! I could eat it on the hottest day in July. Now I would give you my recipe, but everyone likes theirs with different amount of spice. I’m just going to tell you try ONE thing. Put diced up potatoes in your chili. Let them cook until they are tender. It makes your chili like a stew and is so amazing. And of course, don’t skimp on the meat. There is nothing worse than a chili that is all beans.

You can find more from Kellie on her blog Kellie for Ag, give her a LIKE on Facebook, Tweet with Kellie over on Twitter @KellieForAg, find some great pins from her on Pinterest, or follow her fun photos on Instagram! 

Okay so I said I used round steak for this recipe. But don’t try and use it directly out of the package. Round steak typically can be inherently tough, so I always tenderize mine. You can either have the butcher do this or you can do it yourself with a mallet. It’s a great way to get rid of some aggression if you need to. 😉 

Beef Stir Fry

Print Recipe

• Author: Prairie Californian
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Sauce

• 1 1/2 – 2 pounds of tenderized round steak, sliced into thin pieces (either ask the butcher to tenderize or do it at home with a mallet)
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Sauce (optional)
• 5 scallions, chopped

Stir Fry

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 bell pepper (use your favorite color)
• 8 ounces snap peas (you can use snow peas, but I like snap peas much better)
• 1 bag of stir fry vegetables (or you can use a mixture of fresh vegetables)

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Instructions

1. In a bowl mix together the sauce ingredients. Add the thinly sliced meat. Set aside. While the meat is setting aside, I prepare any chopped vegetables.
2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add half meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Brown the meat, turning to ensure it gets nice and brown on all sides. Once browned, removed to a clean plate. Repeat with the other half of the meat.
3. In the same hot pan, add vegetables. Cook for several minutes until they start to get tender. Add the beef back into the pan along with the rest of the marinade. Stir over high heat for a few minutes then remove from heat.
4. Mixture will thicken as it sits. Serve on top of rice and garnish with more Sriracha (if you’d like).

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6

This post is part of my Thirty Days of Food series where I am writing about food and farming for the entire month of November, to find out more about it all or how to follow along, visit my Thirty Days of Food page or click the photo below to find more great recipes with farmer features!