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Is anyone like me and have a freezer full of beef? This summer, some friends and I went in together to purchase a grass-fed cow. It’s a great way to go if you have a deep freeze and like beef.
Locally-raised, grass-fed beef is incredibly healthy. In fact, it’s the only kind of red meat I’ll ever buy again. Plus, it’s a huge cost savings to purchase it in bulk like this and you’re supporting a local farmer. You get various steaks, roasts, ground beef, and, yes, even a few weird parts. Overall, I think it’s the way to go.
Now the challenging part to having a ton of beef around is using it up!
This Steak Stir-Fry recipe is one of my Freezer Club‘s favorite beef meals. A big shout out to my friend, Shelly M, for the original recipe! It’s got a ton of flavor and is easy to make.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
Make Marinade: Combine garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar in a large zip-top bag. Close bag and shake well to combine. Add steak to bag and put in fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
Make Thickener: Whisk together the water and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.
Saute Veggies: Heat oil in large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, just until crisp-tender (do not over cook). Remove to plate.
Cook Beef: Add beef and marinade to hot pan. Cook just until meat is cooked through (do not over cook). This only takes 1-2 minutes.
Combine: Return vegetables to pan and toss with meat and sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer. Then add water/cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce. After sauce thickens (after about a minute or so), remove from heat.
Serve: Serve in bowls over rice and top with cilantro, peanuts, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Freeze For Later: Place the marinade and steak in a large freezer bag and seal. Freeze alongside the frozen stir fry vegetable bag.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the steak/marinade, but do NOT thaw the frozen veggies! Follow Steps 3-6.
It’s important to slice the steak thinly. It’s easiest to do this while the steak is partially frozen or very cold.
Gluten-Free Version: Use coconut aminos in place of the low-sodium soy sauce.
If you want to use fresh veggies instead of frozen, replace with fresh, quick-cooking veggies like bell pepper strips, julienned carrots, and snow peas or sugar snap peas.
As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!
Try these tips for freezing your beef stir fry: All in one freezer bag. The quickest way to prepare your stir fry for freezing is to simply dump it in a freezer bag, seal, and freeze. After you have all your ingredients prepped, just add everything to a freezer bag or freezer safe container.
Freeze for Up to 3 Months: These freezer meals are best eaten with in a few months. Unless vacuum-sealed, the ingredients will gradually start to develop freezer burn. Heat Up the Stir-Fry Meal for Dinner: Follow these instructions for assembling the final dish, which will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover stir fry in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. TO FREEZE: Freeze stir fry in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
There's no rush, and no pressure in not getting to 2 portions per serve. Once you are happy with your recipe, why not batch cook and freeze extra to save you future time, effort and money? While stir fry veg doesn't freeze well, the sauces do!
If a vegetable has a high water content (i.e. lettuce, which I hope you aren't stir-frying with) that is more integral to its structure than the cellulose it is likelier to burst cell walls in freezing; these vegetables are better to avoid.
Divide into meal-sized portions suitable for your family (I weighed mine into 1 lb portions) and pack into heavy-duty freezer bags. Press as much air out as possible and seal. Place as flat as possible in the freezer, spreading the bags over lots of surface area so that they freeze as quickly as possible.
Can You Freeze Anything for Meal Prep? The short answer is that pretty much any food can be frozen. The US Department of Agriculture explains that you can freeze almost any food, except eggs in their shell and canned products. However, you may not want to eat every food after it has been frozen.
Stir-fry can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thawing: Always thaw frozen stir-fry in the refrigerator or use the microwave for a quicker option.
Yes, you can freeze leftover Chinese food. That's probably the smart thing to do if you know you won't be eating it within three to four days. Foods Guy blogger Jaron Tietsort recommends freezing leftover Chinese food as soon as possible. It should keep well in the freezer for up to three months, Tietsort said.
Yes!Just throw them in the pan straight from the freezer. Keep the heat on medium-high and continue to sauté until they defrost and warm through. You can also use a combination of some frozen and some fresh vegetables in this quick vegetable stir fry.
You can cook most steaks from frozen. In general, thick-cut steaks may be a little more forgiving as they won't overcook as fast. Medium thickness steaks are still great when cooked straight from the freezer, you'll just want to pay attention to the clock and doneness to keep from overcooking that delectable meat.
Cooked meat doesn't maintain its quality in the freezer for as long as raw meat does: Cooked poultry and fish can be kept in the freezer for four to six months, while beef, veal, lamb and pork shouldn't be kept for longer than two to three months.
The best way to defrost meat, including steaks, is by leaving them in their vacuum-sealed packaging, placing them flat on a plate to catch drippings and then putting them in the refrigerator. You should give at least 24 hours for your steaks to thaw completely, but some thicker cuts may require more time.
That being said, you totally can cook it all up and then freeze too. Separate your pre-cooked stir fry into portions and add in rice. That way you have your very own homemade frozen meals ready to go! These are great when you have insatiable teens in the house, or for quick lunch ideas.
Make sure to put your leftovers away as soon as possible. Cooked steak can last up to six months in the freezer, but it will dry out over time. Freezing leftovers makes them last longer because it halts bacterial growth, but that growth starts back up again as soon as you thaw the food out.
Meal planning is another compelling reason to consider freezing cooked steak. If you find yourself pressed for time during the week, having ready-to-go dishes in your freezer can be an absolute lifesaver. Cooking steak in batches and freezing it saves time and energy on busier days.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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