Stir-Fried Spicy Shredded Beef

Name: Stir-Fried Spicy Shredded Beef
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 to 1 1/2 pounds sirloin (New York) strip, cut into thin shreds (this will be easier if you freeze the beef for 30 to 60 minutes); 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 egg white, lightly beaten; 3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced; 1 tablespoon whole Szechwan peppercorns; 2 fresh hot chiles, preferably Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or crumbled dried chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste; 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced, or about 1 cup shredded cabbage; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; Salt to taste; 1 scallion, trimmed and chopped, for garnish

December 14, 2011

This Szechwan specialty gets its heat from fresh chiles and its flowery, smoky aroma from Szechwan peppercorns. Since the beef is cut into such thin shreds, it takes little time to cook. Serve this with rice or noodles, along with stir-fried greens (page 463). Other cuts of meat you can use here: pork, preferably from the shoulder or leg (fresh ham); lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 pounds sirloin (New York) strip, cut into thin shreds (this will be easier if you freeze the beef for 30 to 60 minutes)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced

1 tablespoon whole Szechwan peppercorns

2 fresh hot chiles, preferably Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or crumbled dried chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced, or about 1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

Salt to taste

1 scallion, trimmed and chopped, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1
Combine the beef shreds with the soy sauce and egg white. Heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet over high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and chiles. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the celery and cook until almost translucent, about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in the beef and cook until lightly browned. Add the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates, a minute or less. Season, garnish, and serve immediately.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Recipe notes