THE EVERYTHING® CHINESE COOKBOOK
Page 11
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic and chili sauce. Stir-fry briefly until the garlic is aromatic. Add the baby corn.
Add the beef back into the wok. Add the rice wine, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Mix the cornstarch and water, and add to the middle of the wok, stirring vigorously to thicken. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Drizzle with ½ teaspoon sesame oil and serve hot.
Serves 4
This northern Chinese favorite makes a complete meal when served with rice. For a more authentic dish, use bamboo shoots instead of baby corn.
Serves 4–6
Leeks are a popular vegetable in northern China, where cooks rely on hardy vegetables that can survive cold winters and a short growing season.
Mongolian Beef with Rice Noodles
1 pound sirloin or flank steak
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
1 bunch leeks
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon chili sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1½ cups oil for frying
Slice the beef across the grain into thin slices. Add 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and cornstarch, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes. Soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for 15–20 minutes to soften. Drain thoroughly.
Wash the leek bunch, and cut into slices about 1½ inches long. Mix together the hoisin sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce. Set aside.
Heat 1½ cups oil to 350°F in a preheated wok. When the oil is hot, add the rice vermicelli. Deep-fry until they puff up and turn crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Add more oil, if necessary. Add the leeks to the wok. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the sauce to the middle of the wok. Mix the cornstarch and water and add to the sauce, stirring to thicken. Bring to a boil. Add the beef back into the wok and mix all the ingredients together. Serve over the rice noodles.
Beef with Peppers
1½ pounds beef, such as eye of round
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, divided
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
½ cup canned bamboo shoots
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
4½ tablespoons oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 slices ginger, chopped
Cut the beef in thin slices, across the grain. Mix in the dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut into thin strips, about 2½ inches in length. Wash the bamboo shoots.
Mix together the water, 1 tablespoon rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar.
Add 3 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the beef and stir-fry in batches until it changes color. Remove and set aside.
Wipe the wok with a paper towel. Add 1½ tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the red and green peppers. Stir-fry briefly and add the bamboo shoots. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the beef. Mix everything through and serve hot.
Why Cut Meat Across the Grain?
The “grains” running across a piece of flank steak are muscle fibers. Since the muscle is the part of the body that does all the work, these fibers are tough. Cutting the meat across — instead of along with — the grain shortens the muscle fibers, giving the meat a more tender texture. This technique is not as important with pork and chicken, as the meat is more tender to begin with.
Serves 4–6
Eye of round is a good cut to use in this dish — it is one of the leanest cuts of beef and is also very tender.
Serves 4–6
Blanching tomatoes makes the skin easy to peel off. Serve this dish with Sweet-and Sour Celery (page 252) for an interesting combination of flavors.
Beef with Tomatoes
1 pound beef steak, round or flank
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper or to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 large tomatoes
3–4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
3 slices ginger, minced
½ cup beef broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
Cut the beef across the grain into slices that are approximately 1½ –2 inches long. Add the dark soy sauce, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and baking soda to the beef. Marinate the beef for 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the tomatoes. Peel off the skin and cut each into 6 equal pieces. (Be sure to remove the tomatoes from the boiling water before they soften.)
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. Add the beef. Fry until it changes color and it is nearly cooked through, turning it over once. Fry in batches if necessary. Remove the beef from the wok.
Wipe the wok if necessary and add 1–2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry briefly, making sure they don't soften too much.
Add the beef broth, oyster sauce, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixed with water to the middle of the wok, stirring to thicken. Add the beef back into the wok. Cover and simmer until everything is cooked through. Drizzle with the sesame oil.
Baking Soda — The Secret Tenderizer
A general rule of thumb is to use ½ teaspoon of baking soda per pound of meat. When cooking with a very tough cut of meat, add the baking soda alone first. Use your fingers to rub it over the meat. Wait 20 minutes and then rinse thoroughly to remove any baking soda flavor before adding the other marinade ingredients.
Beef with Broccoli
¾ pound beef steak, such as inside round
3 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
Brown Sauce (page 19)
6–8 broccoli stalks with flowerets
¼ red onion
1½ cups oil for frying
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips about 2 inches long. Add the rice wine, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the beef for 1 hour.
Blanch the broccoli by plunging into boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Separate the flowers and the stalks, and cut the stalks into spears along the diagonal. Chop the red onion.
Add 1½ cups oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, velvet the beef by adding it to the hot oil just until it changes color, and quickly removing from the wok. Drain the velveted beef on paper towels.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the broccoli. Stir-fry for a minute and then add the red onion. Stir-fry the broccoli until it turns bright green and the red onion until it is soft and translucent.
Give the Brown Sauce a quick stir. Push the vegetables up to the sides and add the sauce into the middle of the wok. Turn up the heat and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring vigorously to
thicken. Add the beef back into the wok. Mix everything through and serve hot.
Serves 3–4
Serve this restaurant favorite on a bed of white rice or cooked noodles, accompanied by a few fortune cookies.
Serves 2–4
Feel free to follow the recipe for Mangetout and Bean Sprouts (page 237) in step 5, then add the sauce and beef and mix through.
Beef with Snow Peas
¾ pound beef flank steak
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup snow peas
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips about 2 inches long. Add the soy sauce, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
Trim the snow peas. Blanch the bean sprouts and snow peas by plunging them briefly into boiling water. Drain well.
In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and water and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry until it changes color. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the snow peas and bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly. Add the sauce in the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Mix with the vegetables. Add the beef. Add 1–2 more tablespoons water if desired. Mix everything together and serve hot.
Beef and Bean Sprouts in Black Bean Sauce
½ pound beef steak
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 teaspoon fermented black beans
¼ teaspoon chili paste
½ cup chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon red rice vinegar
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
1 garlic clove, minced
Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips about 2 inches long. Add the soy sauce, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
Blanch the bean sprouts by plunging very briefly into boiling water. Drain thoroughly. Soak the black beans, mash, and mix with the chili paste.
Mix together the chicken broth, dark soy sauce, and sugar.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the garlic and chili paste mixture. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the bean sprouts. Stir-fry briefly, and then add the red rice vinegar.
Add the sauce in the middle of the wok and bring to a boil. Add the beef. Simmer until everything is cooked through.
Do You Need to Buy a Chinese Cleaver?
Strictly speaking, no. Successful stir-frying demands food that is evenly cut, but many types of knives will do the job. Still, a Chinese cleaver has many advantages. The cleaver's wide rectangular shape makes it handy for cutting beef, pounding chicken, smashing garlic, and using its thicker-side blade to separate individual garlic cloves.
Serves 2–4
This dish can also be made with green jalapeno peppers — chop 3 jalapeno peppers, remove the seeds, and stir-fry with the chili paste.
Serves 4
This dish tastes great combined with mustard in a sandwich or smoked in tea leaves and spices, a process described in the Tea Smoked Chicken recipe (page 175).
Dry Fried Beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 pound flank steak, shredded
5–6 tablespoons oil for frying
Add the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and baking soda to the beef. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
Add 3 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add half the beef. Lay flat and fry for 2 minutes, then turn over and fry for another 2 minutes. Stir-fry the beef until it turns a dark brown (this will take about 8 minutes). Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the beef.
Serves 6–8
For an authentic touch, thread the meat onto bamboo skewers that have been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes (to ensure that they don't burn).
Beef Satay
½ pound beef sirloin steak
¼ cup dark soy sauce
¼ teaspoon chili paste
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange marmalade
1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice ginger, minced
Cut the beef across the grain into very thin strips, about 1 inch long.
Combine the remaining ingredients. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 2 hours. Drain the beef, reserving the marinade.
Thread at least 2 slices of the marinated beef onto each skewer, weaving them in and out like an accordion. Brush with the reserved marinade.
Grill the beef on both sides. Serve with Hoisin Satay Sauce (page 21).
Beef Curry
½ pound beef sirloin
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces rice stick noodles
1 tablespoon curry paste
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips about 1½ inches in length. Add the rice wine, cornstarch, and baking soda (in that order). Marinate the beef for 1 hour.
Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 15 minutes or until they are softened. Drain thoroughly.
Mix together the curry paste, turmeric, and ground cumin.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the beef. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the curry paste mixture and stir-fry briefly until it is aromatic. Add the onion and stir-fry until it is soft and translucent. Add the rice stick noodles and mix with the onion. Add 2 tablespoons water if necessary. Add the meat and the yogurt. Mix everything together and cook until the meat is cooked through.
Tangy Turmeric
Indian cooks have been relying on turmeric's distinctive yellow color and strong taste to lend flavor to curries since early times. It took China a bit longer to discover turmeric's possibilities. Today, turmeric is frequently found in Chinese curry recipes — a small amount mixed with curry powder or paste adds a lovely yellowish hue to the dish.
Serves 2–4
Yogurt helps take the edge off a hot curry — add more than 1 tablespoon, if desired.
Serves 4–6
Don't have any stewing beef? Red cooking is a nice way to add flavor to less popular cuts of meat, such as liver.
Basic Red-Cooked Beef
6 dried mushrooms
1 large daikon
2 slices ginger
1 cup light soy sauce
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
4 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds boneless stewing beef, cut into chunks
2 cups water
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Gently squeeze to remove any excess water, and slice. Peel the daikon and cut into ½ -inch slices. Peel the ginger, if desired.
Combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, white sugar, brown sugar, and five-spice powder; set aside.
Add oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the beef and cook until browned.
Add the sauce and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer. After 1 hour, add the daikon and dried mushrooms. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced.
Make Your Own Sauce for Red Cooking
In red cooking, previously browned meat is stewed in a combination of soy sauce and other ingredients. To make your own red cooking sauce, experiment with different combinations of light and dark soy sauce, rice wine, and other liquid ingredients until you find one you like. For extra flavor, add stronger seasonings such as star anise and dried tangerine peel (see Spicy Red-Cooked Beef, page 119, for ideas).
Spicy Red-Cooked Beef
6 dried mushrooms
1 large daikon
2–3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
2 slices ginger
3 small garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds boneless stewing beef, cut into chunks
3 cups water
½ cup dark soy sauce
¼ cup light soy sauce