Recipe: Crispy Beef
Crispy Beef
3/4 pound tender beef strips (cut into diameter of
about 2 pencils and length of 2 - 2 1/2 inches).
Salt and white pepper to taste.
1/4 cup soy sauce.
3/4 cup granulated sugar.
1/2 cup white vinegar.
1/4 cup water.
1 1/2 tablespoons green onions (green part only).
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (untoasted).
2 egg whites (beaten until frothy).
1 cup cornstarch (approximation).
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with about.
2 tablespoons water (for thickening sauce).
Place sauce in wok and heat for minute or so before adding cornstarch with water. Once sauce mixture thickens, add about 2-3 tablespoon hot oil, stir well, then add beef strips and heat for about 1 minutes Remove from wok and place on platter. Sprinkle beef with sesame seeds and serve over white rice.
About 2 hours before frying beef strips, sprinkle salt (we used about 1/2 teaspoon) and white pepper (approximately 1/4 teaspoon). Massage spices into beef strips until evenly distributed. Place in refrigerator.
Next, and very important is to gradually add cornstarch to this mixture, slowly coating all of the beef strips. You will use a lot of cornstarch to thoroughly coat beef strips, so don't let the 1 cup measurement intimidate you. Actually, you may use less than 1 cup, but it will take a lot to make sure each strip of beef is covered with a fairly thick coating of cornstarch.
Mix sauce ingredients except for, of course, the cornstarch and water. Set aside.
When oil has reached about 360 degrees, drop about half the beef strips in oil. Once you are done frying beef strips, carefully drain excess oil and place on platter. Pour oil out of wok into container.
* If you use more beef than recipe calls for, sauce mixture can be doubled. If you use tougher beef strips, you may want to marinate mixture in a little soy sauce and red wine vinegar and cornstarch to tenderize.
You will use a lot of cornstarch to thoroughly coat beef strips, so don't let the 1 cup measurement intimidate you. Actually, you may use less than 1 cup, but it will take a lot to make sure each strip of beef is covered with a fairly thick coating of cornstarch. When oil has reached about 360 degrees, drop about half the beef strips in oil. Once sauce mixture thickens, add about 2-3 tablespoon hot oil, stir well, then add beef strips and heat for about 1 minutes Remove from wok and place on platter. If you use tougher beef strips, you may want to marinate mixture in a little soy sauce and red wine vinegar and cornstarch to tenderize.
