Fine Cooking 88

As seductive as picking up the telephone and ordering in on a busy weeknight may be, you can throw together a stir-fry quicker than it takes a delivery person to get to your door. Even better, this dish is just as good as—or even better than—anything you'll find in a to-go carton. If you don't have a stir-fry pan, use a heavy skillet with a large surface area for the ingredients sear properly.

• 1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced on the diagonal against the grain
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbs. light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salted peanuts
• 2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
• 2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped (don’t seed)
• 3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

1. Toss the steak with 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce, 1 tsp. of the fish sauce, and the salt. Combine the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce and 1 tsp. fish sauce with 1 Tbs. of the lime juice and the brown sugar and set aside.
2. Pulse the peanuts, shallots, and chiles in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil and once it's shimmering, add the beef. Cook, stirring, until the beef just loses its raw appearance, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and the shallot mixture, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.
5. Return the beef to the pan. Stir the soy mixture and add it, along with half of the cilantro and basil, and cook, stirring to let the flavors meld, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve sprinkled with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, and basil.