Beef stir-fry strips

Cook them in a single layer in a very hot wok for about 2–3 minutes, turning often. The strips should be steaming hot throughout; the Food Standards Agency’s safe cooking guidance is 70°C for 2 minutes at the centre.

Yes. Toss them with soy sauce, grated ginger and garlic, plus a little cornflour, and leave them covered in the fridge for 15–30 minutes before stir-frying.

They work well in beef chow mein, beef in black bean sauce or a quick pepper steak stir-fry. Add the beef to a hot wok in batches, then return it to the vegetables and sauce at the end.

Keep raw strips covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge and use them by the use-by date, or freeze them before then in a sealed bag. Defrost in the fridge before cooking.

No. The Food Standards Agency advises against washing raw meat because splashes can spread bacteria around the kitchen; cooking the strips thoroughly is what makes them safe to eat.

Yes—slice rump steak thinly across the grain. Rump steak strips have 14.4 g fat per 100 g, compared with 2 g in beef stir-fry strips.