Servings: 4
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola, divided
2 garlic cloves, crushed
One (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced or finely grated
1 to 2 small red “finger” chiles or bird’s eye chiles, stemmed and minced
3 1/2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped or thinly sliced
3 1/2 ounces fresh oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped or thinly sliced
1 pound ground beef, preferably 75 to 80 percent lean
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
Low-sodium soy sauce or dark soy sauce
2 heads lettuce or 1 small head iceberg lettuce
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on a diagonal
In a large (12-inch) skillet or wok over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger and chiles, and stir-fry until aromatic, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the mushrooms, and stir-fry until they release their moisture and it evaporates, about 3 minutes, then discard the garlic. Add the beef, and stir-fry, breaking up any large clumps, until it loses its raw look, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the rice wine and lightly season with soy sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter.
Transfer the beef mixture to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the scallions on top and serve right away, with the lettuce leaves.
Adapted from “Harvest: 180 Recipes Through the Seasons” by Emilie Guelpa (Hardie Grant, 2017). Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick.
Pickled Pineapple (Recipe from Ben Weiner, a New York City-based recipe developer)
1/2 peeled and cored pineapple, diced (12 ounces/2 cups)
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
Ice
Make the pickled pineapple: In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the pineapple and jalapeño, and set aside.
In a small (2-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar, vinegar and salt, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the marinade just comes to a gentle simmer. Pour over the pineapple in the bowl and add 2 ice cubes on top. Let cool while you prepare the other ingredients, or cover and refrigerate until needed.

















































