Dishes
stir-fried beef with Chinese kale
芥蘭炒牛肉
Also called: 芥蘭牛肉 · 芥藍牛肉 · beef with gai lan · beef with Chinese broccoli
Fresh beef and Chinese kale tossed in a very hot wok, the side dish most tables add to a bowl of beef soup.
What it is
A quick stir-fry of sliced beef and gai lan, a leafy brassica with thick stems that tastes like a stronger, slightly more bitter broccoli. In Tainan and Kaohsiung it is a standard order at beef-soup shops, eaten with rice.
How it is made
The beef and kale go into the wok over a fierce flame for a short time, so the dish picks up a smoky wok aroma. At Niu Lao Da in Kaohsiung the cook stops when the beef is still only lightly done, which keeps it tender.
How to eat it
It goes on the table next to beef soup and a bowl of rice. Hsi Lo Tien in Tainan sells its stir-fries in three portion sizes, and a small plate is enough for one or two people.
In Kaohsiung
Southern beef shops use fresh, never-frozen beef slaughtered the same day, which is why cooks can leave it pink. At Shang Hao Chih the owner buys the kale at the market each morning and uses only the tender parts.
Where to eat it in Kaohsiung
Sources