Chop Suey is a Chinese dish consisting of meats (often chicken, fish, beef, shrimp or pork), cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery and bound in a starch-thickened sauce. It is typically served with rice but can become the Chinese-American form of chow mien with the addition of stir-fried noodles.
This is a recipe that my mother used to make me when I was a young girl.
I remember it was the first time I knew anything about what Chinese food might taste like, not that this is an authentic Chinese dish, but for me, back in the 60's it was as close as I was going to get to authentic Chinese food. The closest Chinese restaurant was 150 miles away.
The Soy Sauce we used with it was probably the only authentic taste I really experienced.
I remember my mother would make this when the round steak was on sale at the grocery store. I think back then as it is today, it was one of the less expensive cuts of steak that was available to buy.
This past weekend I was buying round steak, and the memories started flooding in how yummy this recipe is.
As soon as I got home, my husband began to unload the groceries from the car, and I began to prepare the Chinese Style Chop Suey.
I was not surprised, it is still just as delicious as it was when my mother cooked it for me in the 60's. It brought back warm memories of my mother in the kitchen always making us feel loved with her cooking.
Chinese Style Chop Suey
- 2 lb. beef or round steak
Vegetable oil for cooking
1 c. onion, roughly diced
1 c. celery, roughly diced
8 tbsp. soy sauce
2 cups water
1 28 oz. can Chinese vegetables, drained
1 14 oz. can bean sprouts, drained
1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
6 tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. water
Cooked Rice
Add onion, celery, soy sauce and water. Simmer until vegetables are clear. Add Chinese vegetables, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts.
Salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl mix, cornstarch and water together forming a white slurry to thicken the meat and vegetables.
Slowly pour slurry over meat and vegetables stirring constantly and mixing well. Cover and finish cooking until thickened about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with hot cooked rice.
