Tongue-Numbing Spicy Beef

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This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

 

The Tongue-Numbing “Flower Pepper” of Sichuan Province

by Kimberly Dukes

 

Ingredients

Sesame Sauce Ingredients:
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons Sichuan pepper oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt to taste
 
The Stir-Fry:
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 4 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
  • 1/2 pound sirloin, cut into thin strips or small cubes
  • Chunk of ginger about the same size as the garlic, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 small green or red sweet pepper (or a mixture), chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3/4 teaspoon of extra-hot chile powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
  • Cilantro or parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

To make the sauce, in a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, beef, egg white, and cornstarch.
In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, Sichuan pepper oil, sugar, and salt to taste.
 
In a wok, heat a little oil to season the surface. Once it’s hot, discard the oil. Add 3 teaspoons of peanut oil and heat. Add the meat, and stir-fry for about 4 minutes, until the meat is just cooked. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate and drain.
 
In the wok, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry until it is fragrant, 15- 30 seconds. Add the sweet peppers and onion, and stir-fry for 1 minute. (They should remain a little crisp.) Add the chile powde and ground peppercorn, stir for a few seconds, then add the beef and stir. Stir the Sesame sauce again, add to the wok, and stir for about 15 seconds.
 
Serve on an oval plate in a single layer, so that the hot-and-numbsauce is spread out evenly. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desired.

Korean Mixed Vegetables with Beef and Vermicelli Noodle

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Whether you call it Chap Chee, Chap Chae, or Jap Chae (a combination of Japan and China),

this is a very popular dish that combines a variety of textures, colors, flavors, simple seasonings along with one of their staples, noodles. Koreans love beef and serve it more often that pork and chicken, and they never eat lamb or goat. Garlic, ginger, and sesame are common to most Korean beef dishes and this one is no exception. Traditionally, Chap Chee is spiced up with a bowl of kimchi. Available in Asian markets, it’s a fiery hot condiment containing fermented vegetables such as cabbage and turnips. An acquired taste! The meat will be easier to thinly slice if put in the freezer for about 30 minutes and have all the ingredients assembled before stir-frying.

Ingredients

For the Beef:

 

  • 3/4 pound flank or sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain in strips 2-inches wide

  • 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms

  • 4 ounces vermicelli noodles

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger

  • 4 green onions, finely chopped including some of the greens

  • 4 Thai chiles, stems removed, minced or substitute serrano or jalapeño chiles

  • 1 small carrot, julienne cut in 3-inch long pieces

  • 1 small red bell pepper, julienne cut in 3-inch long pieces

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

  • 1/2 cup straw mushrooms

  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts

  • Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

  • Toasted sesame seeds

For the Kimchi

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 green onion, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

 

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and add the beef. Toss to coat and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the wood ears in a bowl and cover with warm water. Allow the mushrooms to steep for 30 minutes to soften. Drain the mushrooms and discard the water.

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, drain and keep warm.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.

Heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and when hot, add the meat and quickly stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm.

Add the garlic and ginger to the wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the onions and chiles and stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes. Next add the carrots, bell peppers, and spinach and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

Stir the sauce into the wok and add the noodles. Continue to stir-fry until the noodles absorb the sauce. Return the beef and cook until all ingredients are hot.

To serve, place the Chap Chee on a large serving platter, garnish with the cilantro and sesame seeds and serve with the kimchi on the side.

Mongolian Beef

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This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

 Oodles and Oodles of Asian Noodles

by Nancy Gerlach, Fiery-Foods.com Food Editor Emeritus 

 

 

Ingredients

For the Beef:

  • 1 pound flank or round steak, thinly sliced in pieces 1 1/2 inches by 3/4 inches

  • 2 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying

  • 2 to 3-ounces rice vermicelli noodles

  • 4 small dried red chiles, such as piquin or Thai

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

  • 1 tablespoon hot bean sauce

  • 8 green onions, cut in 1 1/2-inch lengths

For the Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Slice the beef across grain and at an angle into thin strips. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in bowl and mix well. Add the beef and marinate, at room temperature for an hour, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Heat a wok until hot, add the oil and heat to a temperature of 375 degrees F. Gently loosen the roll of noodles with your fingers and break into 3 portions. Carefully lower one of the portions of the noodles into the oil with a slotted spoon and press under the oil for 2 seconds until puffed and crisp. Immediately remove the noodles from wok and drain. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Pour off all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil and reheat. Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry for a minute. Add the beef and stir-fry until the meat is lightly browned.

Add the hoisin sauce, hot bean sauce, cornstarch and on-half cup water to the wok. Bring to a boil over medium heat and add the green onions. Simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken the sauce so it clings to the meat.

To serve, place the noodles on a platter and top with the meat.

Fired Beef (Pulgogi)

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean beef tenderloin roast, eye of round, or sirloin

For the Marinade:

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1/2 cup rice wine or vermouth

  • 1 Korean or Asian pear, peeled and grated (or 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice)

  • 2 green onions, white and pale green part, finely minced

  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

  • 4 walnut halves, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Pinch of salt

  • Vegetable oil (for grilling rack)   

For serving:

  • Cabbage hearts or lettuce leaves

  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped pine nuts

  • 12 tablespoon hot red pepper threads or hot red pepper flakes

Instructions

For the Beef:

Slice the beef across the grain into large pieces, 1/8-inch thick.

 

For the Marinade:

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well with a spoon. Add the beef and, with your fingers, massage the marinade into the meat. Wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

For grilling the beef, start the coals 30 minutes before cooking, or preheat a gas grill. Lightly brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil and set it 4 inches from the heat source. Add the beef, in batches or all at once, and grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until caramel brown and crusty and to the desired doneness. Repeat if necessary with the remaining beef.

On a cutting board, slice the beef into bite-size pieces. Make a bed of cabbage or lettuce leaves on individual plates and place the beef on top of each. Garnish with pine nuts and hot red pepper.

 

Skewered Spiced Peruvian Beef and Chicken (Anticuchos)

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These are the famous Peruvian appetizers, sold by street vendors, and grilled to order. The customers just eat the beef right off the stick. Traditionally they are made with beef heart, but we like to use more tender and flavorful cuts of beef, plus chicken. With the highly acidic marinade, you can use tougher cuts if you marinate them longer. The chiles of choice here would be the native ají chiles, but virtually any small, hot fresh chiles can be used. Serve wrapped in a corn or flour tortilla. You can also serve the anticuchos as an entree with escalloped potatoes and green beans. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

Simmer the cumin seeds in the oil for 5 minutes. Strain the oil and discard the seeds.

Combine with all the remaining marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Toss the meat and chicken in the marinade, place in a nonreactive bowl, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and longer for tougher cuts of meat.

Thread the meat on skewers and bring to room temperature. Simmer the marinade for 20 minutes over low heat. Grill the beef over medium-hot fire, basting frequently with the marinade for about 4 minutes a side, until the beef is done. Cut a sample to check for doneness. Serve over greens with your favorite dipping sauces.

Instructions