Hunan Beef Recipes

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the wine, salt, soy sauces, potato starch or flour and one tablespoon water. Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices and add to marinade.
• In a wok, heat peanut oil to about 275 degrees. Add beef and stir gently for two to three minutes, then remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain well.
• Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of oil in wok. Over a high flame, add the ginger, garlic, fresh chilies, chili flakes and cumin and stir-fry briefly, until they are fragrant. Return beef to the wok and stir well, seasoning with salt to taste.
• When beef is sizzling and fragrant,add scallion greens and toss briefly. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.

Steps:

• Remove all the fat from the beef and partially freeze beef for ease in slicing.
• Cut it across the grain into thin 1½ inch slices.
• Place the beef slices in a container with a tight fitting lid and add the marinade in the following steps.
• First add the meat tenderizer by sprinkling it sparsely so that it hits each piece of meat.
• Next add the soy and stir.
• Then sprinkle on the cornstarch coating each piece.
• Finally add the oil and stir to coat all of the meat.
• Let the meat marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• While the meat marinates, chop the Thai chilies into tiny pieces, set them aside.
• Once the meat has marinated, velvet it by bringing a pot of water with the salt and just 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil to boil.
• Add the meat and let it cook for 1 minute, remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil on high in a non stick pot or wok.
• Add the chilies and garlic and stir fry them for 1 minute.
• Add the beef, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar and stir fry everything for 1 more minute then remove the wok from the heat.
• Serve with steamed vegetables and rice.

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together steak, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, black pepper, wine, chiles, and cornstarch. Let marinate at least 2 hours, but preferably refrigerated overnight.
• Strain the beef and reserve marinade. In a very hot wok filled 1/4 with peanut oil, 'blanch' the beef for 5 seconds only. Set beef aside and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil.
• Stir-fry the onions and bell peppers for 3 minutes then add back the beef and the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil and reduce by 50 percent, until thickened.
• Stuff Hunan Beef in the Shao Bing and consume immediately.
• Suggested beverage: Loose teas and Hartley Ostini "Hitching Post" Pinot Noir 1997
• Prepare a saucepan filled with the vegetable oil over medium heat. Slowly add 2 cups of the wheat flour, stirring slowly to ensure that the paste achieves a smooth consistency. Cook for about 5 minutes and then set aside to cool. This is the oil paste.
• In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in a little warm water. Add 2 cups of the wheat flour and the baking powder and combine. Add more warm water to achieve a dough consistency. Cover the dough with plastic and allow the dough to rise, 45 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of boiling water with 2 pounds of the wheat flour. Mix until it has a slightly lumpy consistency and then add 1 or more cups of cold water. Continue mixing and kneading until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover the dough with plastic or cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Add the warm water dough to the shao bing and knead until the doughs are incorporated. Cover the mixture and let sit for 15 minutes.
• On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a flat, rectangular sheet, about 1/16 to 1/8-inch in thickness.
• Spread a generous layer of the oil paste over the surface of the dough. To prevent the oil paste from running off the dough, sprinkle lightly with flour.
• Starting from 1 edge, roll the dough until it becomes 1-inch in diameter. Be sure that the roll is tight. Cut the dough sheet so that the rolled dough may be removed when the diameter is 1 inch. Repeat the process until the entire sheet is transformed into rolls.
• Carefully, so as not to let the oil paste leak out, stretch out the rolls so that the diameter is reduced to 3/4 of an inch. Cut the stretched roll into 4-inch lengths.
• Place 1 of the rolls seam-side up and seal the end using a small rolling pin (this will prevent the oil paste from escaping). Fold the roll into thirds, so that the seam is covered. Then roll this tripled roll into a flat dough about 5-inches by 2-inches. Fold this piece into thirds. The stack should be about 2 by 3/4 inches thick. Flip the piece over so that the seam and fold are on the bottom. Cover and set aside. Repeat the process for the remaining rolls.
• Spread the sesame seeds onto a clean work surface. Flip the square with the smooth face over, onto the sesame seeds. Next, the square may be rolled into either a round or rectangular shape. The round is used in Northern China while the rectangular is common in the South. Rolling presses the sesame seeds into the face of the Shao Bing.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the Shao Bing, sesame seed side down, onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then flip and bake for another 5 minutes to brown the bottom.
• The uncooked Shao Bing may be frozen for future use. Place the Shao Bing between layers of waxed paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
• Using scissors as one does in China, cut open the Shao Bing, like you would a pita bread pocket.

Steps:

• Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir in the sliced beef; let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Mix Hunan Sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
• After 20 minutes, drain the beef well, saving the marinade, and mix marinade into the Hunan Sauce bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a skillet at medium-high heat.
• Stir fry the beef until it is cooked but still a bit rare.
• Remove beef onto a plate.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet and stir-fry the Hunan Sauce mixture until fragrant.
• Stir in the beef, heat through and serve.