Description
Hunan Beef is a deeply flavorful, popular Chinese-American dish made with tender pieces of beef stir-fried with lots of veggies, ginger, and garlic, and tossed in a simple sweet, spicy sauce.
Ingredients
What ingredients do you need to prepare the beef pieces?
- 1 pound flank steak (sliced in 1/4-inch thick pieces);
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda;
- 2 tablespoons water;
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce;
- 1/3 cup cornstarch.
What ingredients do you need for the Hunan sauce and the stir-fried vegetables?
- 1 dried Sichuan red pepper like Tien Tsin, chopped with some seeds (see notes);
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced;
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced;
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar;
- 2 tablespoons hot water;
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar;
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper;
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil (for frying);
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (1 inch piece sliced)
- 1/2 cup shallots (1 shallot thinly sliced);
- 5 cloves of garlic, sliced.
Instructions
- First of all, combine the sliced flank steak with the baking soda, water, and oyster sauce in a medium bowl. Massage these ingredients into the beef until any liquid has been absorbed by the meat. Then, let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Lightly dust all of the beef slices in cornstarch.
- Next, heat your wok over med-high heat. Spread 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil around the wok, and fry the beef in three batches on both sides until browned and slightly crispy on the outside. Set aside on paper towel lined plate after cooking.
- After frying the beef, wipe out the pan with a paper towel if needed and add 2 T oil.
- Set the wok over medium heat, add the sliced ginger, and fry until caramelized, about 30 seconds.
- Next, add the shallots and garlic.
- Continue to fry for another 30 seconds, and add the fresh and dried peppers.
- Turn the heat up to high and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Stir the sugar into 2 tablespoons of hot water until dissolved. Add the Chinese black vinegar and ground white pepper, and mix until well combined. Set aside.
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Finally, add the fried beef and pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Maintain the highest heat possible and stir-fry everything together for 1 minute. Continue to cook until most of the sauce has evaporated.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Tips and TricksUsing Sichuan dried chilis: In this dish, I used Tien Tsin Whole Dried Chilis that I purchased at a Chinese grocery. They have a beautiful burnt-red, shiny skin from drying in the sun, and many super spicy seeds inside. I recommend cutting the pepper in half and shaking out half the seeds before chopping so you don’t overpower the dish with heat. Remember, you can always add more heat but you can’t remove it:)
What can I substitute for the Sichuan dried chili pepper? If you can’t find Sichuan dried red chilis (or you don’t want to buy an enormous bag of Tien Tsin Chilis like I did!:), you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes. Their flavor is slightly different, but you will achieve a similar level of spice. Some people recommend adding a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika for a smoky note and I bet that would be great, but haven’t tried it yet.
What can I substitute for Chinese Black Vinegar? Chinese Black Vinegar is widely available in Chinese Markets or Global Food stores, but may not be carried at large chain groceries. It has a nice level of acidity, and rich molasses notes from the fermentation process. Rice, wheat, and barley are used in the making of this vinegar, so those with grain allergies may want to substitute Balsamic Vinegar instead. It has a similar acidity and sweetness to Balsamic but does not have the umami flavor of Chinese Black Vinegar. Adding a teaspoon of soy sauce/tamari, or using a teaspoon of Umami powder will compensate for this.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: stir-fried
- Cuisine: Chinese