Three-Toed Sloth

Beef and Cabbage

I actually meant to post this on St. Patrick's Day, but forgot.

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 inch ginger root, chopped fine
1 pound ground beef
3 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon red chile powder
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt, to taste

6 teaspoons minced garlic
1 inch ginger root, coarsely chopped
4 cups Napa cabbage leaves, chopped into coarse squares
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Olive oil

In a medium pot, fry the onion, garlic and ginger over medium-high heat until the onion begins to brown. Add beef, garam masala, chile and paprika. When the beef is mostly cooked, add pepper and salt to taste, adjusting the spicing as needed. It should have a sweetish undertone from the garam masala, but enough chile to be slightly spicy-hot. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally.

Heat olive oil in a wok, medium-high, and fry the garlic and ginger until the garlic is golden brown. Add cabbage and oyster sauce. Continue stir-frying until the cabbage has ceased to shrink in volume. Add the beef and continue cooking one or two minutes more, until everything is thoroughly mixed. Serve over rice.

Notes. Garlic: Feel free to substitute 1 clove, crushed, for each teaspoon of minced garlic; I just don't find the extra work worth it here. Chile powder: Ordinary "chile molido" works well. So does chipotle, but some people find its taste too strong and fishy. Cabbage: Feel free to substitute an equal volume of kale or chard. (I haven't tried bok choy or regular cabbage.) Oyster sauce: I sometimes like this with four or even five tablespoons of oyster sauce. Nobody else who's tried it does.

Food