BETTER THAN PANDA EXPRESS - Beijing Beef Recipe

beef

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork

Chicken or pork can lower costs while still providing protein.

hoisin sauce

🥗Healthier: miso paste

💰Cheaper: soy sauce

Miso offers umami flavor with fewer additives.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Olive oil is healthier, while canola is often cheaper.

cornstarch

🥗Healthier: arrowroot powder

💰Cheaper: flour

Arrowroot is a gluten-free alternative, while flour is often less expensive.

Slice the beef into ¼ of an inch thick pieces.

Grate a few cloves of garlic and a thumb-size piece of ginger.

Add the grated garlic and ginger to the beef.

Add ½ tsp of salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Add 1 medium-size egg, 2 tbsp of cornstarch, and 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed orange juice to the beef.

Mix until well combined and set aside for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1 tbsp of tianmian Jiang, 1 tbsp of Chinese black vinegar, ¼ cup of brown sugar, 1.5 tbsp of honey, dark soy sauce for color, 1 tbsp of cornstarch, and ⅓ cup of orange juice.

Optionally, add chili flakes for spice and mix until well combined.

Coat the beef with cornstarch by spreading some in a container, adding the beef, covering with more cornstarch, and shaking well.

Let the beef rest for 10 minutes to allow the starch to bond together.

Cut red bell pepper and sweet onion into bite-size pieces.

Heat 1 cup of oil in a wok to 400° F.

Add the beef to the hot oil one by one, frying each side for about a minute.

Remove the beef and keep frying the next batch, then remove all the beef from the wok.

Use a sieve to skim cornstarch lumps from the oil and pour most of the oil out, leaving about 2 tbsp in the wok.

Turn the heat to maximum and add the bell pepper and onion, stirring over high heat for 1-2 minutes.

Remove the bell pepper and onion from the wok.

Pour the sauce into the wok and stir over medium heat for a couple of minutes until thickened.

Introduce the beef, bell pepper, and onion back into the wok and toss thoroughly to coat with the sauce.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens