Classic Chinese-American Beef in a Sweet Orange Sticky Sauce
Author:Tim
Ingredients
Scale
1/2 lb flat iron steak – thinly sliced
8 strips orange zest
3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice – about 3 naval oranges
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 TBL white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBL white granulated sugar
1 TBL Asian chili-garlic paste
1–1/2 TBL cornstarch mixed with 2 TBL cold water – for the sauce
Cornstarch for dredging the beef
1 egg white
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 green onions – divided
4 dried red chilis
1 cup jasmin rice
Instructions
Freeze the steak for 30-45 minutes, then slice into 1/8″ strips across the grain and cut the strips into 2″ pieces
Slice the whites of the onions into 1/2″ pieces and the green shoots into 1/4″ pieces and set aside
Whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, white sugar, white wine vinegar, vermouth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili garlic paste in a heavy bottom pot large enough to finish the complete recipe
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisk in the cornstarch until it thickens, about 10 minutes then reduce heat and keep warm
Coat the beef with egg white
Use a large wok to heat the peanut oil until it shimmers
Place about a quarter cup cornstarch in a large freezer bag, add the beef a little at a time and shake to coat the beef. Add cornstarch as needed until the pieces are completely coated
Fry the beef in the wok until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a rack to drain and salt lightly
Place the onion whites, orange zest strips and red peppers in the oil and cook until the edges of the orange strips curl and begin to brown, about 1 minute
Return the sauce to a boil for the final reduction, strain out the onion, pepper and orange strips and add them to the sauce with the beef. Fold it all together until it is fully coated in the sticky sauce
Serve over jasmin rice
Notes
Lightly freezing the steak will make it much easier to slice thinly. Do not freeze it solid.