I rarely make deep fried food at home but if I do, this is Chinese crispy beef is my go-to dish. This dish reminds me of the rainbow beef I usually get from the Chinese takeaway but you know what, this one is so much better!
Well, just because I cooked it. *wink*
Just kidding!
It was simply because this was made at home. Oh yeah, home cooked food is the king over here in Fuss Free Cooking HQ!
And I agree with Jules and Michael Pollan’s philosophy on ‘junk food’ is fine to eat as long as you make it yourself.
Aside from deep frying being the challenging part of this dish, the rest was pretty much an easy peasy process especially the SAUCE. A concoction of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and tamari (or soy sauce) – yes, there’s a bit of East meets West happening here! The original recipe calls for Chinese black rice vinegar, but balsamic vinegar worked just as well.
As you can imagine, the sweet, savoury and sticky sauce mingled with lightly battered crispy beef, this dish does not disappoint. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, finely shredded
- 2 spring onions (scallions), shredded
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 400g (14 oz) rump or sirloin steak, trimmed.
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsps cornflour (cornstarch)
- oil, for deep frying
- 4 Tbsps brown sugar
- 3 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsps tamari (or light soy sauce)
Instructions
- First prepare the vegetables. Then cut the beef into thin slices.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, salt and cornflour. With a fork, whisk until well combined (don't worry if the mixture is a bit lumpy). Coat the beef in the batter and mix well. Set aside.
- In a glass measuring jug, combine all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Fill a pan/wok until one-quarter full of oil. Heat the oil to 180C (350F/Gas 4), or until a tiny drop of cornflour batter fries golden brown in 15 seconds when dropped in the oil.
- Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes, stirring to separate, then remove and drain. (Note depending on the size of your cooking vessel, it is recommended that you fry the beef in batches, making sure you don't crowd the beef in the hot oil resulting in reducing the ideal temperature of deep frying significantly.)
- Carefully pour the hot oil into a heat proof bowl. Use a kitchen towel to clean the pan (or wash if it is not non-stick).
- Heat a tablespoon of the frying oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the carrots and saute until slight softened. Then add garlic and spring onions and saute until aromatic.
- Add the beef and sauce mixture into the pan and stir to combine.
- Serve immediately with rice.
Notes
Please note that when I made this dish, I halved the ingredients above. I tweaked the recipe from A Llttle Taste of China cookbook.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Fuss Free Cooking for regular meal inspirations delivered straight to your inbox!
A great recipe! We tried this last night and it was a hit with the whole family!! Thanks
This is a great recipe. had doubts about the balsamic vinegar but the ratio to brown sugar is perfect! love a recipe that works, and for under $10 bucks is even better.. had mine with baked brown rice thanks emily
Hi CZarina,
Thanks for your wonderful feedback! I am glad to hear that you liked the recipe. 🙂
Emily x