Bitter Melon And Black Bean Sauce Beef

• ice cubes
• 1 bitter melon, seeded and sliced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 ounces beef, sliced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon black bean sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 pinch white sugar, or to taste
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon water
• salt to taste

1. Fill a bowl with ice; add enough salted water to make an ice bath. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the bitter melon in the boiling water until tender yet firm, about 2 minutes; strain the melon. Place the melon into the ice bath; allow to sit until bitterness is extracted, about 1 hour. Drain melon.
2. Whisk 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and baking soda together in a bowl. Add beef and toss to evenly coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Heat wok, or a large skillet, on high until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Lay beef evenly across the bottom of the wok; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove beef. Pour in 1 teaspoon of oil; allow to heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in bitter melon; cook until combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stir black bean sauce into melon mixture. Stir in remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Pour in 3/4 cup water; cover and let simmer until flavors combine, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and mix in remaining cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water and stir until thickened.

bitter, soy sauce, cornstarch, baking soda, beef, oil, oil, onion, garlic, fresh ginger, black bean sauce, oyster sauce, white sugar, water, water, salt

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/254527/bitter-melon-and-black-bean-sauce-beef/ (may not work)