I don't know why I never thought about stir-frying short rib before. Sure, the luxuriously fatty cut is the backbone of Korean barbecue, but I just tend to associate it with long, slow simmering. But if Fuschia Dunlop tells me to do something, I usually follow along. This recipe from her Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook results in shockingly tender beef, which is littered with cumin, chili, garlic, and ginger. The aroma is enough to knock you out cold.
What's interesting is that the beef is not just sliced thinly and tossed in a wok. First it's mixed in a simple marinade with a bit of potato starch. Then it's fried at a low temperature for a couple minutes, drained, and only then is it ready to hit the blazing hot wok. The only complaint I had was that I probably didn't drain it well enough, so it turned out a touch greasy. This could have all been fixed by draining it for a tad longer.