Celebrate the Year of the Snake with a sweet and spicy bowl of Crispy Ginger Chili Beef! This popular Chinese-Canadian recipe is made with fried strips of beef, bell peppers, scallions, and a sweet and spicy sauce. Enjoy this meal with a glass of Haywire Lunar Red to compliment the flavours of this recipe! Happy Lunar New Year!
Recipe and Images by: Melissa Leung – Season and Serve Blog
SERVES: 2 PREP TIME: 20 mins COOK TIME: 25 mins
INGREDIENTS
For the Beef Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 300 grams striploin steak, cut into strips 1-centimetre thick
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the Sauce:
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
For the Stir Fry:
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, cut to match the length of the beef and pepper strips
DIRECTIONS
Make the marinade for the beef by combining the soy sauce, ginger, sugar, chili flakes and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix until the sugar has dissolved and set aside.
Slice the beef into strips and add to the marinade. Mix to combine and set aside to marinade for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Once the beef has marinated, add the egg to the bowl and mix until combined. Add the cornstarch to a separate bowl. Coat the beef strips individually in the corn starch to coat all sides. Once coated, place on a plate and continue to repeat this process until all the beef is coated in cornstarch.
Place the vegetable oil into a wide and deep frying pan. The oil should be at least 1 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375°F. Carefully lay individual pieces of beef into the hot oil, making sure to shake off any excess cornstarch and being sure to not overcrowd the pan. Fry the beef in batches for 2 to 3 minutes or until crispy and golden. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Repeat for the remaining beef strips.
Once all the beef strips have been fried, increase the oil temperature to 425°F. Add all the beef strips back to the oil and fry all together for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
Make the stir fry sauce by combining all the stir fry sauce ingredients into a bowl. Set aside.
Next, cook the vegetables Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil followed by the sliced red and green bell peppers. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the peppers are just beginning to soften around the edges. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and set aside on a large plate.
To assemble the stir fry, return the wok (or large frying pan) that you used to cook the vegetables to the stove over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the stir fry sauce. Let it cook and bubble away for 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens and becomes thick and glossy. Then add the crispy beef and fried vegetables to the wok and toss to combine, ensuring that all the beef and vegetables are coated in the sauce.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately with a side of jasmine rice and a glass of Haywire Lunar Red. Enjoy!
