Spicy Thai Mint Beef

So here's my dilemma. Yesterday I was shopping day at Costco and they had a great price on flank steak...just $3.99 a pound. They also great pricing on Acetum wine vinegar, but that's another story (http://terrygruggen.blogspot.com/2011/06/resolution-of-modena-lust.html).

The source of my dilemma is Mother Nature. I had fully intended to grill up those flank steaks over lump hardwood charcoal, but it is pouring rain here in Minnesota. It's going to rain all day today. All night, too. And all day tomorrow. So no grilling for me. What to do with my flank steak? Giada De Laurentis says I should make up a nice Thai stir fry on my stove top.

I'm a huge fan of Giada's, so that's exactly what I am going to do. Her recipe will serve four. While she recommends serving this dish over sticky rice, I would opt for basmati rice.


Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Thai chiles, such as prik kee noo, or 3 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 pound flank steak, very thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1/4 cup fish sauce (Red Boat preferred)
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
2 tablespoons black soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili paste in soy bean oil
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh Thai basil leaves
1 cup whole fresh mint leaves


Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. 
2. Add the steak and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. 
3. Add the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce and chili paste. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. 
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and mint until wilted. Serve.

Wine pairing:  Sauvignon Blanc or Zinfandel