Sliced beef with hot peppers (Chinese cooking for Australians)

 

For 4 servings

• 500 gr fillet or frying steak
• 45 ml meat marinade (recipe below)
• 10 ml cornflour
• 3 shallots,minced or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 dried red chilli, cut into pieces
• 1 piece dried tangerine peel or ½ orange peel, cut into pieces
• 45 ml vegetable oil

Sauce

• 45 ml beef stock
• 30 ml dark soy sauce
• 15 ml dry sherry
• 5 ml sugar
• 5 ml sesame oil
• 2 ml cornflour

Preparation

1. Slice well-chilled beef very thinly across the grain, then cut into narrow strips ; season with marinade and cornflour and leave for 45 minutes. (if using frying steak, pound with the blunt edge of a cleaver to tenderise).
2. Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Cooking

1. Heat oil in a wok and when very hot stir-fry dried chillies and tangerine peel until they darken ; remove and set aside.
2. Add drain beef and garlic and stir-fry on high heat for 2 minutes ; remove meat, then stir-fry shallot or onion for 1½ minutes.
3. Return meat and pour in the sauce ; bring to the boil, stirring until the sauce thickens and become clear.
4. Return chilli and tangerine peel and heat through.
5. Garnish with chopped parsley and red chilli.

Meat marinade (Makes about 250 ml)

• 45 ml vegetable oil
• 45 ml water
• 30 ml dry sherry
• 30 ml light soy sauce
• 15 ml dark soy sauce
• 7 ml sesame oil
• 5 ml salt
• 10 ml sugar
• 2 ml white pepper
• 8 slices fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Measure ingredients into screw-top jar.
2. Shake well and keep refrigerate until needed.

BON APPÉTIT