The Everything Chinese Cookbook (32 page)

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

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   

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

1. 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.
   
2. Trim the snow peas. Blanch the bean sprouts and snow peas by plunging them briefly into boiling water. Drain well.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and water and set aside.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   

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

1. 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.
   
2. Blanch the bean sprouts by plunging very briefly into boiling water. Drain thoroughly. Soak the black beans, mash, and mix with the chili paste.
   
3. Mix together the chicken broth, dark soy sauce, and sugar.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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.

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

1. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and baking soda to the beef. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
   
2. 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.
   

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