Crispy chilli beef
Ditch the takeaway and whip up this Chinese-inspired flash-fried steak with a sweet gingery sauce and red peppers
Ingredients
- 350g thin-cut minute steak, very thinly sliced into strips
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 4 spring onions, sliced, green and white parts separated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- cooked noodles, to serve (optional)
- prawn crackers, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- STEP 1
Put 350g thin-cut minute steak strips in a bowl and toss in 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.
- STEP 2
Heat 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot, then add the beef and fry until golden and crisp.
- STEP 3
Scoop out the beef and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away all but 1 tbsp oil.
- STEP 4
Add 1 thinly sliced red pepper, ½ thinly sliced red chilli, sliced white ends of 4 spring onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves and thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks, to the pan. Stir-fry for 3 mins to soften, but don’t let the garlic and ginger burn.
- STEP 5
Mix the 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup in a jug with 2 tbsp water, then pour over the veg.
- STEP 6
Bubble for 2 mins, then add the beef back to the pan and toss well to coat.
- STEP 7
Serve the beef on noodles with prawn crackers, if you like, scattered with the remaining ½ sliced red chilli and sliced green parts of the spring onions.
