Although the Cantonese enjoy pork as much as all the other Chinese, they tend to eat more beef than many of their compatriots. Beef in oyster sauce is perhaps the most basic of all the Cantonese beef dishes. It is delicious also with other vegetables, such as mushrooms, celery, bamboo shoots or bean sprouts. In stir-frying beef, the Cantonese believe that it is most important to make it tender and “velvety,” and to achieve this they add bicarbonate of soda to the marinade. This tenderizing process is unnecessary in the West.

Ingredients:

1 pound (450 grams) beef, rump, fillet or skirt steak
8 ounces (225 grams) asparagus
5 to 6 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1/4 inch (5 millimeters) fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped fine
3 or 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) sections, white and green parts separated
1 tablespoon Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
sesame oil to taste (optional)

For the marinade:
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons thick soy sauce
6 turns pepper mill
2 teaspoons Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
1 teaspoon potato flour
1 to 2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons peanut or corn oil

For the sauce:
1 teaspoon potato flour
6 tablespoons clear stock or water
2 1⁄2 to 3 tablespoons oyster sauce

Directions:

Pat the beef dry. Cut across the grain into rectangular slices about 1 by 1 1/2 inches and 1/4 inch (2.5 by 3.5 centimeters and 5 millimeters) thick. Put into a fairly large, deep bowl.

Prepare the marinade: Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, wine or sherry to the beef. Stir to blend. Sprinkle with the potato flour. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and stir, to coat the beef, until it is too difficult to continue. Add the remaining water and stir again. This process will make the beef velvety and tender when cooked. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Blend in the oil.

Prepare the sauce: Put the potato flour in a small bowl, stir in the stock or water to blend thoroughly. Add the oyster sauce. 4 Wash and trim the asparagus. Cut diagonally into thin slices, so that they can be cooked quickly and can absorb the sauce easily.

Heat a wok over high heat until smoke rises. Add the oil and swirl it around. Add the garlic, ginger and white scallions in rapid succession. Stir several times to release their aroma and then add the beef. Sliding the wok scoop or metal spatula to the bottom of the wok, flip and toss for up to 1 minute. Splash in the wine or sherry around the side of the wok, just above the beef and, while it sizzles, continue to stir. Transfer to a warm plate as soon as the sizzling is over, but leave some oil behind.

Without washing the wok, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for 1 minute. Season with salt, sprinkle with drops of water, lower the heat, cover and steam for about 1 more minute.

Push the asparagus around the sides of the wok and pour the well-stirred sauce into the center. As soon as it bubbles, return the beef, add the green scallions and stir together with the asparagus until hot. Transfer to a warm serving plate. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with sesame oil at the table, if desired.

Serves 4 with 2 other dishes.