Chinese New Year: crispy chilli beef recipe recipe

Celebrate the start of the year of the rooster with this crispy chilli beef recipe. 
Garish the beef with ground Szechuan peppercorns and sesame oil
25 January 2017

Serves 2

Ingredients
*228g lean beef (suggest topside or flank steak)
*1 carrot (matchstick size pieces)
*2 dried red chillies
*vegetable oil for deep frying (optional) or 1 tbsp vegetable oil
*1/2 tsp cornflour
*1/4 tsp roasted and ground Szechuan peppercorns (garnish)
*1/2 tsp Wing Yip Sesame Oil (garnish)
*Salt, to season 

For the marinade: 
*1 tbsp. Wing Yip Light Soy Sauce
*1 tsp sugar
*1/2 tbsp. Wing Yip Shaohsing Wine
*1/2 tsp Wing Yip Sesame Oil
*1/4 tsp roasted and ground Szechuan peppercorns

For the sauce: 
*1/2 tsp cornflour
*1/2 tsp sugar
*pinch of salt
*30ml water

Method:
1. Lightly roast Szechuan peppercorns in a dry pan and grind in a pestle and mortar.

2. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl.

3. Cut the beef into strips, add to marinade and leave for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

4. Place carrots and celery into separate bowls and mix in a pinch of salt into each. After half an hour, squeeze out or dry using kitchen roll any water that is discharged from the vegetables.

5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and put aside.

6. Half fill a wok or deep fat fryer, and heat oil to about 200°C.

7. Coat the marinated beef in cornflour, making sure each piece is well coated. This will give you the crispy texture.

8. Slowly lower the beef in batches into the hot oil, and fry for about 4 minutes until the beef becomes crispy. Remove from the wok and dry on kitchen paper.

9. Once all the beef has been fried, drain the wok and clean for the next stage.

10. Reheat the wok and add 1 tbsp. of oil. Add the dried chillies and cook for a few minutes, being careful not to let them burn. When chillies begin to brown, remove and discard.

11. Add carrots and the celery to the wok and stir fry for about a minute. Then add the crispy beef.

12. Give the sauce a stir to make sure it is combined, and gradually to the wok, ensuring it coats everything in there. Stir-fry everything for a few minutes over a high heat.

13. Serve in a big serving dish, sprinkle with ground Szechuan peppercorns and sesame oil and enjoy.

More Chinese New Year recipes:

Find more recipes online at Wing Yip