ORANGE PEEL BEEF STIR-FRY
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine OR dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup canned chicken broth
1/4 cup thinly shredded orange zest (avoid white pith)
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 green onions, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
6 dried whole chile peppers, seeded
Slice steak lengthwise with the grain into 2-inch wide strips. Then slice the long strips against the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons wine and cornstarch. Add beef, mix well and stir in 1 tablespoon oil. Let stand 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon wine, sugar and broth.
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add orange zest and boil 3 to 4 minutes (to remove the bitterness). Drain, rinse in cold water and shake dry.
In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat remaining 1/2 cup oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Test by dipping spatula into beef mixture and then into oil; it should sizzle. Stir up beef mixture and cook, stirring with chopsticks to separate pieces of meat, until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Remove meat with a wire strainer or slotted spoon to a colander placed over a heatproof bowl and let drain.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from pan and return to heat. Add orange zest, ginger, garlic, green onions and chiles. Stir over high heat for about 1 minute or until garlic begins to color; don’t allow garlic to burn or it will become bitter. Return beef to pan, pour in sauce, and cook, stirring, until liquid is almost gone, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately. Makes 3 to 4 servings.
From “Easy Chinese Stir-Fries,” by Helen Chen