My mother always made a special beef dish when any of my siblings came home from college. It was her way of saying “I love you” or “Good job on your straight As, Jeanie.” (That was for my sister—when I came home with straight B’s, she made squab.) Beef was a luxury in our home, and my mother had rarely eaten it when she was growing up in China because it was scarce. The beef dishes she made always melted in our mouths; she chose fine cuts and always cut across the grain. Once she opened her first restaurant, my mother went wild creating beef dishes, as there are so many delicious ways to prepare beef in Chinese cuisine. I’ve included some of my mother’s legendary beef recipes, like the tender and succulent Stir-Fried Beef with Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms and the spicy Sichuan Beef.
