Start by cooking the brown rice. Rinse 1 cup of brown rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the beef. Trim any excess fat from the 1 lb of flank steak or sirloin and slice it thinly against the grain into bite-sized strips.

Prepare the vegetables: Cut the broccoli into small florets. Slice the medium carrot into thin rounds. Halve, seed, and thinly slice the large bell pepper. Trim the ends of the snow peas. Mince the 3 cloves of garlic and peel and grate the 1-inch piece of ginger.

In a large bowl, combine the sliced beef with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, half of the minced garlic, half of the grated ginger, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for about 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the marinated beef strips and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until just cooked through. Remove the beef and set aside.

In the same wok, add the remaining garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the broccoli, carrot, snow peas, and bell pepper to the wok. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes until they are tender-crisp.

Return the beef to the wok. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Toss everything together and stir-fry for another 2 minutes to ensure the beef is heated through and all ingredients are coated with the sauce.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve the hot stir-fry over the cooked brown rice. Enjoy your delicious homemade Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry with Brown Rice!