Teriyaki Beef

I have spent years trying to figure out how they make the food in Chinese restaurants taste so damn good. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that I don't really want to know, that it probably involves some sort of perverse processes and unearthly ingredients. So I've learned to be satisfied with the vague facsimiles I can cook up in my own kitchen.

Stir-fries have long been a favorite of mine, especially since most grocery stores even carry bags of pre-cut 'stir-fry' mixes that are pretty good. Cook up some meat and some veggies in some sesame oil (I HIGHLY recommend using sesame oil, it really adds that extra bit of flavor that makes it delicious), add a little teriyaki and, voila! -- you have a lovely fresh dinner.

But if you really want that delicious, tender, salty-sweet meat that makes Chinese food so yummy, a slow cooker can really come in handy. This recipes is a big hit with my entire family, which is a rarity.

Teriyaki Beef
1.5 pounds flat iron steak*
1 bottle teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
+ Your favorite veggies

*really, a wide variety of beef cuts can work for this, but I personally like to use this cut instead of the roasts, as it's less fatty and too much grease can kill this dish

Just mix the teriyaki, sugar and garlic in a crock pot, then slice up the steak into strips and mix it in, and cook on low for 6 hours. Then, when it's done, spoon some of the sauce from the crock pot into a pan, and quickly steam some of your favorite veggies. Onions are always a good addition (normally, onions are perfect IN the crock pot, but for this recipes, it's so much better if they are still crisp and crunchy). Broccoli is good, or a mix of red and green peppers. If I weren't cooking for my family, I would definitely add in some water chesnuts, but for some bizarre reason the hubby doesn't like them.

When the veggies are tender,just mix in the beef, and then serve it all over rice.

Hope you enjoy!