Summer is barbeque season, and most evenings you can find us on the patio grilling up some sausage or hamburgers. But when you’ve been eating off the grill every night for a week, it’s time to mix it up a little. This is our new favorite ground beef recipe that makes for a tasty, quick meal on the stovetop. Better yet, it’s another use for fresh basil from the garden!
We found this recipe via Orangette, a blog written by Molly Wizenberg. Molly is the author of two food-related memoirs, A Homemade Life and Delancey, which I am currently reading. (I’m reading her books out of order, but A Homemade Life is next on my list–thanks to our friend and customer Maya for giving it to me!)
Stir-fried Beef with Chiles and Basil
Ingredients:
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 to 5 Thai chiles, or jalapeno pepper to taste, sliced
2 T peanut oil, divided
1 lb ground beef
2 T fish sauce, or more to taste
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup water (optional)
3 handfuls regular basil or Thai basil, or a combination
Hot cooked jasmine rice
4 large eggs
lime wedges
Preparation:
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat, add 1 T oil, and add garlic, chilies, and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant, then add beef. Continue to cook and stir until beef is cooked through and starting to brown. Add 2 T fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. Add the basil and stir. If you want your basil to wilt more, add a little water to the pan. Remove from heat once basil is wilted.
Meanwhile, warm the remaining 1 T oil in a separate skillet and fry the eggs. (We love our yolks runny–when you add the egg to the dish and break the yolk, it binds everything together like a good bibimbap at a Vietnamese restaurant!)
Scoop rice into 4 bowls and divide the beef and juices over the top. Top with one fried egg per bowl and lime wedges.
Full confession: We usually use this recipe for two servings, and re-heat the leftovers the next day with a fresh egg for the next two servings. We probably eat a little more than half the first time around because it’s so tasty.