Orange Beef
Quick and Easy Chinese Copyright 2008
¾ pound thinly sliced beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce I used light soy sauce
2 tablespoons thinly shredded fresh orange or tangerine peel or dried orange peel I used fresh orange peel
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce I didn't have dark soy so I used light soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt I think that was a bit much
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup shredded carrots
½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
In a small bowl, combine the beef with the soy sauce and toss to season meat evenly.Set aside for 10 minutes.
Combine the orange peel, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl, and stir to mix them together lightly.
In a medium bowl, combine the sherry, orange juice, sugar, cornstarch, dark soy sauce and salt. Stir well to dissolve the cornstarch and mix everything into a smooth sauce.
Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a wok or a large, deep skillet. Scatter in the beef and its marinade and spread the beef out into a single layer. Let it cook undisturbed for about 15 seconds, and then toss well. Add the carrots and cook, tossing now and then, until the beef is no longer pink and the carrots are beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.
Add the orange peel mixture and cook, tossing often, until it releases its fragrance, about 30 seconds.
Add the orange juice mixture, pouring it in around the sides of the pan and toss well. Cook, tossing now and then, until the beef is tender and evenly seasoned with the sauce. Add the sesame oil and green onion, toss well, and transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot or warm.
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Orange beef was one of my favorite Chinese dishes to order in Chinese restaurants but due to my son's peanut allergy we don't visit Chinese restaurants anymore. I picked up this cookbook so I could cook some Chinese dishes at home. While this isn't quite the same as what I remember getting in Chinese restaurants, it was quite good (spicy!) and it was 'quick and easy' as the book title says.
I really like this cookbook. All the recipes are very doable at home and authentic enough, although not exactly the same as you would find in a restaurant but home cooking rarely turns out that way.
As simple as this was, it was the most complicated dinner recipe I've made in quite some time. I will probably start cooking more during the week as our weekends get busier. As long as I can find more recipes like this, I'll be fine.
I just realized now how close this was to the Spicy Orange Beef I've made in the past. Today's recipe had a tad bit more depth but they are both great recipes.
Question of the Day: How often do you eat (restaurant) Chinese food?
4 comments:
We hit the Chinese buffet once every couple of months; that's pretty often since we don't eat out often in general. We never go to a Chinese restaurant that's not buffet, because we love the variety.
I've been cooking more Asian food at home lately. I found a great blog called blogchef.net; this guy's recipes taste really close to restaurant quality.
Used to have it probably every couple of weeks, but pretty much never now, since my celiac diagnosis almost 6 years ago - the soy sauce the restaurants use has wheat in it and they use it in EVERYTHING except like, white rice and steamed vegetables. I miss it a lot!
Not as often as I would like. My husband was diagnosed with diabetes a little over a year ago and Chinese food isn't real good for diabetics. I do miss it and usually get some about once a year on my daughters birthday--she loves it too. I'll have to look for that cookbook--she is always checking Chinese cookbooks out of the library too.
Buffet about once a month. Yummy!
Jan
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