Crispy Chilli Beef Chinese Takeaway Favourite Food

CRISPY CHILLI BEEF

Steps:

• Put 350g thin-cut minute steak strips in a bowl and toss in 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.
• Heat 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot, then add the beef and fry until golden and crisp.
• Scoop out the beef and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away all but 1 tbsp oil.
• Add 1 thinly sliced red pepper, ½ thinly sliced red chilli, sliced white ends of 4 spring onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves and thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks, to the pan. Stir-fry for 3 mins to soften, but don't let the garlic and ginger burn.
• Mix the 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup in a jug with 2 tbsp water, then pour over the veg.
• Bubble for 2 mins, then add the beef back to the pan and toss well to coat.
• Serve the beef on noodles with prawn crackers, if you like, scattered with the remaining ½ sliced red chilli and sliced green parts of the spring onions.

CRISPY CHILLI BEEF

Steps:

• Place the steak strips in a bowl and add the egg. Mix together to thoroughly coat the steak in the egg.
• Add the 4tbsp cornflour, ¼ tsp each of salt and pepper and 1/8 tsp of white pepper.
• Toss together to coat the steak. It will be a sticky mixture.
• Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) or wok over a high heat until very hot.
• You will probably need to work in two batches, so when the oil is hot, add in half the beef - a strip at a time - and spread it out.
• Fry the steak until dark brown and crispy. Try not to move the meat around too much as this reduces the amount of crispiness you get. It generally takes about 5 or 6 minutes to crisp up the beef, with about 3 or 4 stirs during that time.
• Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the beef from the pan and place in a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess fat.
• Add a further tablespoon of oil and repeat - cooking the second batch of beef and then placing in the bowl with the first batch.
• Once you've removed all the beef from the pan, add the remaining ½ tbsp of oil to the pan and turn the heat down to medium.
• Add in the sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened.
• Add in the finely chopped chilli, 1 tsp minced ginger and 3 minced cloves of garlic and cook whilst stirring for 30 seconds.
• Add the 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 3tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 6 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup and the 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce to the pan.
• Turn up the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to reduce a little.
• Add the beef back in, give it a stir and heat through for 1-2 minutes - until the beef is hot.
• Serve with rice or noodles.

CRISPY CHILLI BEEF | CHINESE TAKEAWAY FAVOURITE

Steps:

• Cut the meat into thin long strips (for tips, see text above). Place them in the bowl and add sesame oil, caster sugar and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Mix and set aside to marinade.
• In a separate small bowl, make your sauce. Mix tomato ketchup, honey, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce and brown sugar. Set aside for later.
• Julienne your carrots and half of the red pepper. Crush and finely chop garlic and ginger, and cut your chilli into rounds.
• Put the rice on to boil following instructions on the packet. Crack a small egg into your beef and mix to coat. In a large mixing bowl, put the cornflour and season with some salt and pepper. Then add the marinated beef and mix with your hands until all the beef strips are fully coated and no longer stuck together. Shake off any excess cornflour and place the coated beef strips of a clean plate.
• Heat 120ml of odourless oil in a small pan or a wok. Once hot add 1/3 of your beef and fry for 3 minutes. Transfer cooked beef on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the rest of the beef. You can use a large pan or wok, but you will need to add a lot more oil for the beef to submerge in oil. It is important, however not to overcrowd the pan if you want your beef crispy.
• Heat a tbsp of oil (taken from the beef pan) in a separate large frying pan or wok. Add carrots, pepper, ginger, garlic and chilli and fry on high heat for 30 seconds. Tip in the sauce you prepared earlier and bring to a boil. Boil vigorously for a minute, then add the crispy beef and toss just enough to coat.
• Serve on a bed of white rice. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and sliced spring onion on top.