DRY-FRIED BEEF

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Dry-fried beef image

This is adapted from a traditional Szechuan dish, with a longer cooking time and less sauce. This is an unbelievably strange-looking dish, and absolutely amazingly delicious!

Provided by James Elkins

Categories     Szechuan

Time 3h

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 lb carrot
1/2 lb celery
1/2 lb flank steak
1 bunch scallion
10 tablespoons gingerroot
1/4 cup soy sauce (not Kikkoman)
2 tablespoons palm sugar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground szechuan peppercorns
6 tablespoons peanut oil

Steps:

  • Slice the carrots, celery, ginger, and flank steak into very thin matchstick-size pieces, 1 inch long.
  • (Be patient. This takes a long time.) Slice the scallions lengthwise, and then cut them into 1 inch long pieces.
  • Heat 2T of the oil in a wok, and flash-fry the carrots until they are limp.
  • Do not brown them.
  • Wipe the wok out, and repeat for the celery.
  • Wipe the wok out again, add the remaining 2T oil and the palm sugar.
  • When the oil is hot, and the sugar is bubbling, add the scallions and the flank steak.
  • Stir-fry 3 minutes, then add the soy sauce, and continue to stir-fry until the liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes.
  • Return the carrots and celery to the wok.
  • Add ginger root.
  • Turn the heat down very low, and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for 1/2 hour.
  • The ingredients will lose most of their remaining liquid turn dark.
  • In the traditional version of this dish, at this point the cooking is complete.
  • Continue cooking and stirring, over extremely low flame, for another hour, until the ingredients become brittle and dark, like a pile of burnt sticks.
  • Toss the remaining ingredients into the dish and serve with steamed rice.

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