Beef and Snow Peas with XO Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. sirloin steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain, visible fat trimmed and discarded
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed and strings discarded
2 tablespoons XO sauce

Procedure:

Toss beef with rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and pepper in a bowl until well coated, then marinate 15 minutes. Heat wok over high heat until smoking, then add 1/2 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat, and heat until smoking. Add half of beef and cook, turning over once, until browned, about 1 minute total, then transfer to a clean bowl. Add another 1/2 tablespoon oil and repeat with remaining beef. Pat snow peas dry if necessary. Wipe wok clean and heat until hot but not smoking, then add remaining tablespoon oil, swirling to coat. Add snow peas carefully (oil may splatter) and stir-fry until bright green, about 1 minute. Add XO sauce and stir-fry until snow peas are coated. If mixture seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Cover wok and cook snow peas until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add beef with any juices accumulated in bowl and stir-fry until beef is heated through and sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Makes 6 servings.