Oyster sauce, a favorite seasoning in Cantonese dishes, is thick and brown and, as the name implies, made from an extract of oysters. It is available in the Asian specialty aisle of most supermarkets.

Beef and Vegetables in Oyster Sauce

1 pound beef top round steak

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

4 cups bok choy or green cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups fresh snow peas, strings removed, or 1 (6-ounce) package frozen snow peas, thawed

2 small tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

Hot cooked rice

1. Trim fat from meat. Partially freeze meat. Thinly slice across the grain into bite-size strips. Set aside.
2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce and pepper. Set aside.
3. Add oil to a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium-high heat (add more oil if necessary during cooking). Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add bok choy or cabbage and snow peas; stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok.
4. Add half of the meat to wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove from wok. Repeat with the remaining meat. Return all of the meat to wok.
5. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Add tomatoes and sauce. Stir all ingredients together to coat. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve immediately over hot rice.

Makes 4 servings.