Mom's Citrusy Pepper Beef

I need a new filing system for my recipes. I initially started out with a relatively thin black folder, with printed recipes separated into sections labeled simply "chicken", "meat", "seafood", "vegetarian" and "desserts". It worked fine for quite a while, but ever since I've dived into the deep end of food blogging, that black file looks more ominous each day. Remember that Harry Potter book/movie (whichever one you prefer) where he has to deal with The Book Of Monsters, which in itself is a shaggy, snapping, slithering, sharp-fanged creature? That's what my recipe folder reminds me of these days. Torn edges, papers of all different sizes sticking out from everywhere, recipes out of order, falling apart, you name it. Not to worry, I've put this down on my summer project list, and I intend to make it all beautiful again!

In the meantime, I did come across a recipe that I hadn't made in years. I have no idea why, because it's incredibly good and easy. Maybe because it's my Mom's recipe? Perhaps. I don't have to explain that, do I? I go through bouts of teen-like rebelliousness, let's just put it that way. But I've said it before and I'll say it again (before I lose my nerve), I love Mom's cooking. Her Pakistani/Hyderabadi recipes are beyond compare. Some of it is too labor-intensive for my liking, and other times I just don't get her measurements, so get really frustrated when the final dish never turns out like her original (it's a conspiracy, I'm almost sure of it!). But THIS recipe for Citrusy Pepper Beef is so brilliantly simple that I consider it one of my never-fail successes. Observe ...

Citrusy Pepper Beef (Kali mirchi ka gosht)
Serves 4-6

Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless beef, cubed into tiny pieces (half-inch)
1 tsp meat tenderizer powder (optional - I used Shan's)
4 tbsp canola oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger paste
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
3-4 hot green chillies, chopped
1 small lime, juiced
Lots of cilantro, chopped

Method:
1. If you happen to have Shan's Meat Tenderizer powder, then sprinkle it over the pieces of beef and let it marinate for an hour or two. Or you could skip this step - it just means you'll have to cook your meat longer for it to become tender.

2. Heat up the oil on medium, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir it around for 1 min. Quickly add in the meat and stir to coat each piece with the oil, ginger and garlic and sear. Smells fantastic already!

3. Pour in a cup or two of tap water, give it a stir, then cover the pan and simmer on medium-low heat for about 1/2 an hour. (you might need a bit longer if you didn't do Step 1)

4. Take the lid off. There should still be some liquid left. To this, add the salt, pepper, green chillies and turmeric. Now turn up the heat and stir-fry this whole fragrant mixture till the sauce gets to a consistency that makes you happy - I like it fairly thick.

5. You're almost done! All you need to do is finish it off with freshly squeezed lime juice (lemon should be fine, but lime is my personal preference), and a whole handful of chopped cilantro. Stir to incorporate. Turn off the heat and serve - with parathas, onion slices, lemon/lime wedges and yogurt raita.

Verdict: I could eat this everyday. I'm not kidding. I could make sandwiches out of this for picnics, BBQs or simply a quick lunch. Or I could indulge myself and roll up the meat, onion and yogurt mixture in a paratha and devour it, still standing in the kitchen! DH heartily echoes this sentiment. And as you can see, it's so darn easy. The hardest part is just chopping up the beef - and you don't have to be skilled to do that. I'm so happy I rediscovered this recipe. It's too good to ignore.

On a side note, dear readers, can I just tell you how ecstatic I was to be reunited with my Ozzy after being separated from him during our Seattle vacation? I hugged and cuddled and caressed that little furball for a loooooong time. And it was mutual, I assure you! He just couldn't get enough of DH and I! He wouldn't let us out of his sight. He was throwing himself at us, just to be close to us, rubbing foreheads with me, licking me, sleeping between the two of us, climbing onto our laps. He wouldn't even let me sit on the computer.

How am I supposed to work with His Royal Meowness parking his @ss in front of my desktop like that?! Gawd, I wuv him!