Crispy Chilli Beef, aka Sichuan (Szechuan) Dry Fried Beef, aka Gan Bian (Dry Frying) Niu Rou (Beef). One of my top 3 from a takeaway and a lovely dish to savour with kuàizi whilst taking your time.
Crispy Chilli Beef
Ingredients
Instructions
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Slightly freeze the steaks to assist with the fine slicing. Place the steak strips in a bowl and add the egg. With your hands mix together to thoroughly coat the steak in the egg.Partially chill only until the steak is firm enough to slice cleanly; do not let it freeze solid. After handling the raw beef and egg mixture, wash hands and any contacted surfaces before touching cooked food.
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Add the 4 ½ tbsp cornflour, ¼ tsp each of salt, black pepper and ⅛ tsp of white pepper.
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Again, use your hands to thoroughly incorporate the steak in the mixture. It will be messy but a little love here will pay dividends in the end.
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Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet, wok or frying pan over a high heat.
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You may wish to avoid overcrowding your vessel so work in two or three batches. When the oil is hot, add one third or half the beef a strip at a time, spreading it out as you progress.Keep the batches genuinely small enough that the oil stays hot. Crowding traps steam and makes the coating soft rather than crisp.
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Fry the steak until brown and crispy, this is your first fry, Once cooled, I would repeat this step, to darken the batter. Do not move the meat around too much as this restricts the crispness of each piece. It generally takes 5 to 6 minutes to crisp up the beef, stirring 3 or 4 times during that time.Let the first-fried beef drain and lose surface steam before frying again. Returning wet, steaming pieces immediately to the oil works against the crisp coating you are trying to build.
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Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the beef from the pan and place in a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up any excess fat which will in turn assist the dry frying process.
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Add a further tbsp of oil and repeat with the second and if required the third batch of beef and then place it in the bowl with the first batch.
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Once all the beef has had its second fry, add the remainining ½ tbsp of oil to the pan and turn the heat down to medium.
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Add the sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the chopped chilli, the ginger and the minced garlic and cook whilst stirring for 30 seconds.
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Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, tomato puree, the sugar, and ketchup along with the sweet chilli sauce to the pan.
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Turn up the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken and reduce a little.
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Add the beef back in, giving it a thorough stir and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes until the beef is hot.
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Sprinkle extra chilli flakes if you desire. Serve with rice or noodles of your choice.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 529.55kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 31.21g49%
- Saturated Fat 7.54g38%
- Cholesterol 40.92mg14%
- Sodium 1263.45mg53%
- Potassium 591.96mg17%
- Total Carbohydrate 39.65g14%
- Dietary Fiber 1.14g5%
- Sugars 29.18g
- Protein 23.42g47%
- Vitamin C 29.77 mg
- Calcium 37.17 mg
- Iron 2.79 mg
- Vitamin D 0.22 IU
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
