This spicy poached beef recipe includes a unique method to cook the beef which makes the meat extra tender and juicy. You will need 300 grams of beef. Sirloin, Fillet, or Tenderloin work the best for this recipe. Slice it into 3 mm thick pieces. Make aromatic water by blending 2 cloves of garlic, 2 slices of ginger, 3 pieces of the white part of spring onion, and 1/4 cup of water into a puree. Let it go through a sieve to get rid of the solid part.

Marinade the beef with salt, baking soda, and the aromatic water, 1 egg white then mix the beef. Pour in some corn starch water (1 tbsp. of water mixed with 1 tbsp. of corn starch).  Continue stirring the meat while adding it and once everything is well mixed, you still want to keep messaging it for another 3 minutes until you can feel that the beef has a velvety texture. Corn starch and egg white will give a lot of moisture to the beef and create a starchy layer to lock the juiciness inside the meat and this method is called velveting. Cover it and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Next, add some oil to the wok then add in 1 tbsp. of peppercorn and 2/3 cup of dry hot chilies. Keep the flame on medium-low and stir this for less than a minute. You don’t want to burn it or else it will bring a bitter taste. This is just to activate the fragrance and flavor out of them. Once you see some of the chilies have a slightly dark red color that means it is close to getting burned. Turn off the heat and tilt the wok and take the chilies and Sichuan peppercorns out. There will be some oil left in the wok, just leave it there since you will use it to cook the vegetables later.

Put them on a cutting board and use a knife to roughly chop the chilies and finely dice the Sichuan peppercorn. Next, you will prepare some vegetables, get one piece of celery cut into shred a small piece of cabbage slice it thinly a small piece of carrot cut into shreds, and some bean sprouts that you do not need to do anything to it. In the wok heat it up and add in the carrot, the bean sprout, the shredded cabbage and, the celery. Toss them on high heat for a minute, you want them to stay crunchy and fresh. Add some salt to taste then mix it well.

These vegetables are going to be put on the bottom of the dish. It will balance out the flavor of this dish. to make the spicy broth, add more oil to the same wok then the ginger, the white part of spring onion, cloves of garlic, roughly minced,  peppercorn, and chili flake. It is quite salty though.  Stir everything on low heat for a minute or until everything is fragrant then pour in beef stock and bring it to a boil.

Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for another 5 minutes so all the spices can release the flavor. Add in the marinated beef, stir it gently and make sure they don’t stick to each other. Turn the heat to maximum, bring this to a full boil to make sure all the meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat then take the whole wok and pour this on top of the vegetable you made before.

Top with some cilantro and green onion for garnish then serve.

Ingredients;

  • 300 grams of beef slices
  • 3/4 tsp of salt
  • 1/4 tsp of baking soda
  • Ginger garlic scallion water (2 cloves of garlic +2 slices of ginger + 3 pieces of the white part of spring onion+ 1/4 cup of water)
  • 1 egg white
  • Corn starch water (1 tbsp of water +1 tbsp of cornstarch)

Ingredients for the vegetables;

  • 2/3 cup of carrot
  • 2/3 cup of bean sprout
  • 2/3 cup of shredded cabbage
  • 2/3 cup of celery
  • 1/2 tsp of salt or to taste

Ingredients for the spicy broth

  • 3 tbsp of oil
  • 4 slices of ginger
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly minced
  • 4 pieces of the white part of spring onion
  • 2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn
  • Few pieces of Chinese pickled chili, finely diced (optional)
  • 1.5 tsp of chili flake (adjust the heat level to your own preference)
  • 2.5 cups of water or beef stock

Instructions;

Marinating the beef.

  1. Slice 300 grams of beef in 3 mm thick pieces. Sirloin, Fillet, or Tenderloin work the best for this recipe. Blade or Topside will also work as well.
  2. Make aromatic water: blend 2 cloves of garlic, 2 slices of ginger, 3 pieces of the white part of spring onion, and 1/4 cup of water into a puree. Let it go through a sieve to get rid of the solid part. Save the liquid.
  3. Marinade the beef with 3/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of baking soda, the aromatic water, 1 egg white. Mix the beef within one direction until all the liquid is gone.
  4. Pour in some cornstarch water in batches (1 tbsp of water mixed with 1 tbsp of cornstarch). Keep messaging it for another 3 minutes until you can feel that the beef has a velvety texture. Cover it. Let it sit for 20 minutes.

Prepare the vegetables;

  1. In the same wok, add in the carrot, the bean sprout, the shredded cabbage and, the celery. Toss them on high heat for a minute. Add some salt to taste. Put the veggies in the bottom of the bowl. Set that aside.

Making the spicy broth to poach the beef;

  1. Add more oil to the same wok. Add 4 slices of ginger, 4 pieces of the white part of spring onion, 4 cloves of garlic, roughly minced, 2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn, 1.5 tsp of chili flake, some diced Chinese pickled chilies.
  2. Stir everything on low heat for a minute or until everything is fragrant. Pour in 2.5 cups of beef stock or water.
  3. Bring it to a boil. Taste and adjust the saltiness. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
  4. Add in the marinated beef. Stir it gently. Make sure they don’t stick to each other. Turn the heat to the maximum. Bring this to a full boil to make sure all the meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat. Pour this on top of the vegetable Di Cai that we made before.
  5. Sprinkle some cilantro and green onion for garnish. And you are ready to serve.