Orange Beef

Orange Beef

Ahhh..a favorite and even more tasty than orange chicken.  Bold and beautiful.

Basically, the same deal as orange chicken but no broccoli and uses beef.

The authentic recipe calls for flank steak, but since that’s rather pricy, you can substitute sirloin for it.  Sirloin is often on sale.

To get the creamy and tender texture in the meat that you get in the restaurant, you have to b*tch slap that meat LOL.  Really all you are doing when you do that is tenderizing it.  What I do is cut a cube of meat about 1/2 to 1-inch thick and pound it with a meat mallet or the side of a cleaver.  If using the cleaver, place the side of the blade over the cube of meat and give the side of the blade a good WHACK with your hand.  Of course, a meat mallet is easier, and either the smooth or the side with teeth will do.  There’s the secret–and it’s done with any meat or poultry served in an Asian restaurant.


Orange Beef

For the beef:

• 1 lb boneless sirloin steak or flank steak
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs oil
• oil for deep frying

For the sauce:

• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tbs minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion (reserve some for garnish–about 1 tbs)
• 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs mirin or saki
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbs rice vinegar
• 5 tbs sugar
• zest of 1/2 whole orange

Cut steak into bite-sized pieces, tenderize (see above narrative) and place in a bowl.  Mix the 1/2 cup cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper.  Beat the egg in a small bowl with the 1 tbs oil. Mix in the cornstarch mixture.  Add the cornstarch/egg mixture to the steak in the bowl.  Coat well.

Heat enough oil to deep fry in a large, deep skillet or wok.  Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry steak in batches so there is plenty of room around the steak pieces.  Maybe 6-8 pieces at a time.  Fry on each side 5-7 minutes or until crisp and beginning to brown. Drain with slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate.  Repeat until all steak is cooked.

Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and orange zest in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Remove oil from wok and wipe out.  Heat over high heat for about 10 seconds and add the other 1 tbs of oil.  Add the minced garlic and ginger and stir fry until very aromatic–maybe 15 seconds. Add the green onion and the pepper flakes and stir fry for 10 seconds.  Stir the sauce in the bowl and add it to the wok.  Bring sauce to boil. Add the mirin/saki and the sesame oil.  Mix the 1/4 cup water and 1 tbs cornstarch and add to the boiling sauce, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened and bubbling.  Add cooked steak coating well with sauce.

Serve immediately over rice.

Makes 4 servings

Orange Beef

Orange Beef