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1
Marinate the Beef
15 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the beef cubes in a bowl with the crumbled stock cube, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the minced garlic and the grated ginger. Toss well so every cube is coated, then leave it to marinate while you prepare the vegetables and the rice.
Do not add salt at this stage — the stock cube and soy sauce already bring plenty.
Done when: Beef evenly coated and glossy with the marinade.
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2
Sear the Beef in the Wok
8 Mins
High heat, wok about 200°C (400°F); beef to 63°C (145°F) inside
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large wok over high heat until it shimmers. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and sear, turning once, for about 8 minutes until browned on the outside and just cooked through. Lift the beef out and set it aside with its juices.
Do not crowd the wok — cook in two batches if needed, or the beef steams instead of browning.
Done when: Beef browned outside, cooked through to 63°C (145°F), juices kept.
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3
Stir-Fry the Onions and Peppers
5 Mins
High heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Add the remaining oil to the wok. Stir-fry the sliced onions for 2 minutes until they soften, then add the diced bell peppers and the chopped scotch bonnet and stir-fry for 3 minutes more until the peppers are bright and just tender.
Keep everything moving — a wok-fried dish cooks fast and the peppers should stay crisp, not soggy.
Done when: Onions soft, peppers bright and crisp-tender.
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4
Add the Rice and Sauces — Wok-Fry
8 Mins
High heat, about 200°C (400°F); rice heated through to 74°C (165°F)
Tip the loose day-old rice into the wok with the remaining soy sauce and the Worcestershire sauce. Stir-fry hard, tossing and pressing the rice against the hot wok, for about 8 minutes until every grain is hot, lightly golden and coated in the sauces. This is a stir-fry, not a stew — no water or tomato goes in.
Day-old rice is the secret: dry grains fry up separate and golden, while fresh rice clumps.
Done when: Rice hot all the way through to 74°C (165°F), grains separate and golden.
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5
Return the Beef and Finish
3 Mins
High heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Return the seared beef and its juices to the wok and toss everything together for 2 to 3 minutes so the beef heats through and the flavours combine. Taste and add a little more soy sauce only if needed, then scatter the spring onions over the top and take the wok off the heat.
Taste before adding anything salty — the sauces and stock cube usually do the job.
Done when: Beef hot through, rice glossy and golden, spring onions bright green.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the fried rice onto a wide serving plate or straight into bowls, scatter the spring onions over the top, and serve hot while the grains are still glossy from the wok.
Sierra Leone
1h 45m
France
Vietnam