Garlic Beef and Eggplant with Oyster Sauce

Author Notes

When the lean round steaks at the supermarket go on sale, I buy them to make a dish like this one, where the meat, though it plays an important role, is well-balanced by the beautiful vegetables, all blended in the savory sauce. About an hour before you start cooking put your round steak in the freezer and let it get slightly stiffened, which makes it simpler to cut into the thin slices needed for this dish. I used fresh vegetables from my husband's garden, which he gathers up as they ripen and place in a special basket on the kitchen table--they serve as a kind of inspiration for a delicious dinner! If you cannot find the Chinese ShaoXing yellow wine, you can use cooking sherry, though it will alter the taste somewhat. Both fresh garlic and garlic powder are used here, but are not overpowering as their flavor blends beautifully with the Oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is actually made with dried oysters, but does not have a fishy taste or smell; it is commonly used in many Chinese dishes, especially those from the south of China, such as Hong Kong, Fujian or Guandong province. *** If you would like to make a vegetarian version, it is especially good with firm tofu marinated in the sauce for 2 hours, or with smoky tofu--just stir-fry the tofu for 10 minutes to brown it up a little, then remove it from the pan while you toss in and cook the vegies; serve the vegetables and sauce and place the tofu pieces on top. I usually serve this with steamed rice and pan-fried (not deep fried) spring rolls, with chopped cilantro and green onions for garnish. —BeijingRose