To say that I’ve been on a san choy bau bender would be an understatement. This meal has been on repeat in my kitchen at least once a week (often more) for the last few months and I’m not showing any signs of slowing down. 

San choy bau is an old fave of mine, something I remember my mum making when we were kids, and something I’ve made from time to time over the years.

When we were on the carnivore diet earlier this year, I rekindled my love for this classic while I was looking for creative ways to cook with ground beef (in truth, we were only ever really carnivore-ish, as I still used sauces, oils, and garlic + onion on occasion). 

As an added bonus, or perhaps one of the primary reasons that it’s become such a staple, is that my 3-year-old fussy eater *actually* likes this meal. Plus it’s great for leftovers. 

Serve with fluffy white rice topped with spring onions and coriander, or go classic and do the iceberg lettuce cup wraps (my personal fave). Don’t even bother with the herbs and spring onion if you want a super speedy week-night meal, it’s still just as satisfying.

I love the big hit of umami from the sauce, and the sweetness of the honey which makes the zingy ginger absolutely pop. Add aromatic coriander, and a burst of crunchy fresh lettuce and you’re done.

It’s so simple, but oh so good.

Ingredients

• Ghee for cooking
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 500g grass fed beef mince

Sauce:

• 3 tbsp coconut aminos*
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 heaped tbsp honey

*substitute: you can use tamari or soy sauce, but coconut aminos are a great alternative that you can find in the health food section of the supermarket

To serve:

• Spring onions, sliced
• Coriander
• Iceburg lettuce

Method:

1. Heat a wok or large cast iron fry pan over high heat until hot. Melt ghee.
2. Add onion and stir fry for 3 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise slightly.
3. Add the carrot to the wok and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by stirring all ingredients in a bowl. I like to heat the honey before adding to help it dissolve. Set aside.
5. Add garlic and ginger to the wok and fry for another minute or two, but don’t let the garlic burn.
6. Remove all vegetables from the wok into a separate bowl. Set aside.
7. Let the wok or pan heat up again on high heat. Add the ground beef.
8. Break up the meat with the back of your spoon, while stirring constantly. Continue until it’s all broken up into small pieces and browned all over.
9. Add vegetable back in and stir to combine.
10. Add the sauce and stir well. Allow to simmer for a minute, then serve.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

I’d love to know if you try this yourself, let me know below if you do.

Enjoy!