Tangerine Beef

Tangerine Beef
Tangerine Beef
I stepped up on a cinder block to enter the open kitchen and realized then just how short the cook was; he flicked on the burner and the flame shot up as high as his chin. His broom closet-size kitchen swelled with heat and even with my average height, I towered over him awkwardly as he wielded the wok with beef and soy sauce. "You must play basketball!" he suggested. On his kitchen wall and out of reach of the blazing flame, plastic bags of spices hung from low-set rusty hooks, and his windowsill nearby lay scattered with tangerine peels set out to dry in the sun. Cooks in China are in the habit of keeping the peels of the tangerines they eat and spreading them out to dry in the sun for later use. Then they just rehydrate a few pieces whenever they want to add a nutty, slightly bitter note to a stir-fry or stew. Tangerine Beef is a Sichuan specialty and tall on flavor.
  • Preparing Time: -
  • Total Time: -
  • Served Person: Serves 4
Beef Stir-Fry Dinner Lunar New Year Healthy Tangerine Chile Pepper Dairy Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Kosher
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sichuan peppercorns
  • Carbohydrate 10 g(3%)
  • Cholesterol 77 mg(26%)
  • Fat 20 g(31%)
  • Fiber 2 g(7%)
  • Protein 25 g(51%)
  • Saturated Fat 5 g(23%)
  • Sodium 454 mg(19%)
  • Calories 331

Preparation Soak the tangerine peel in warm water for 1 hour to rehydrate, then drain. Peel the orange and use a spoon to scrape away as much of the white pith as possible. Reserve the fruit for another use. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch the orange peel in the water for 6 minutes to get rid of any bitterness, and then slice into slivers. Dissolve the cornstarch in a large bowl with the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, and ginger. Add the beef and toss so that all the strips are coated, then marinate, covered, in the fridge for 20 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok over high heat. Tip the contents of the beef bowl into the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until the beef is browned but still slightly pink inside. Take care not to overcook the beef or it will get tough. Remove the beef and any liquid from the wok. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and when it is hot, add the Sichuan peppercorns, chile, the white parts of the green onions, the tangerine peel, and orange peel, and stir-fry for 45 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of rice wine, the hoisin sauce, chili bean sauce, and sugar and stir for a few seconds. Toss in the beef and the green parts of the green onions and stir until the onions start to wilt. Serve hot. Reprinted with permission from Feeding The Dragon: A Culinary Travelogue Through China with Recipesby Mary Kate Tate & Nate Tate, (C) © 2011 Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

Preparation Soak the tangerine peel in warm water for 1 hour to rehydrate, then drain. Peel the orange and use a spoon to scrape away as much of the white pith as possible. Reserve the fruit for another use. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch the orange peel in the water for 6 minutes to get rid of any bitterness, and then slice into slivers. Dissolve the cornstarch in a large bowl with the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, and ginger. Add the beef and toss so that all the strips are coated, then marinate, covered, in the fridge for 20 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok over high heat. Tip the contents of the beef bowl into the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until the beef is browned but still slightly pink inside. Take care not to overcook the beef or it will get tough. Remove the beef and any liquid from the wok. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and when it is hot, add the Sichuan peppercorns, chile, the white parts of the green onions, the tangerine peel, and orange peel, and stir-fry for 45 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of rice wine, the hoisin sauce, chili bean sauce, and sugar and stir for a few seconds. Toss in the beef and the green parts of the green onions and stir until the onions start to wilt. Serve hot. Reprinted with permission from Feeding The Dragon: A Culinary Travelogue Through China with Recipesby Mary Kate Tate & Nate Tate, (C) © 2011 Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC