Remove the beef from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Use as much or as little as you prefer. Let the meat rest on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat the cooking oil in a deep sided skillet, get it hot but not smoking hot, add the beef and sear on all sides. You want to get a nice golden to dark brown sear on all the meat.

Sprinkle the meat with the dried ginger or add the fresh ginger. I grated some peeled fresh ginger into the meat and then added the chunk of peeled ginger, then fished it out at the end of cooking.

Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion softens.

Add the soy sauce, bead molasses, and 1.5 cups of water to the skillet. Whisk to combine and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a VERY LOW simmer, cover the pan, and cook slowly for 1.5 to 2 hours. *you can put this all in a slow cooker at this point and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. If cooking on the stove, check to make sure it is slowly simmering and stir once in awhile. You should just see the liquid in the pan bubble up once in awhile.

While the beef cooks, prep your veggies and set them aside. Drain the water chestnuts and the mandarin oranges.

At the 1.5 hour mark, mix the cornstarch with the ½ cup of water. Whisk until smooth. Stir into the beef and stir or whisk constantly until it is combined and the gravy thickens. You may want it thicker so then add a little more of a corn starch slurry. Reduce heat.

Add the sliced peppers, sliced mushrooms, and water chestnuts to the top of the beef. Cover and let them steam on top as the beef simmers underneath. After 15 minutes, stir the veggies in and cook fifteen more minutes, stirring occasionally.

**If you are using a slow cooker, add the corn starch the same way and the veggies. It should thicken.

Turn off the heat and let this rest, covered, ten minutes. Stir in the mandarin oranges.

Serve over rice or crunchy chow mein. I topped with fresh chives.