The Shun Lee Cookbook - Michael Tong [53]
5. Add the flank steak to the oil, one piece at a time so it doesn’t splash or stick together, and stir gently until it begins to look crispy, about 1 minute. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the steak to a colander to drain. Using a fine-mesh wire strainer, remove any bits of fried batter from the wok.
6. Reheat the oil to 375°F, return the flank steak to the wok, and fry again until the beef is crispy all over, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a strainer to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok.
7. Return the wok with the oil to high heat. Add the scallions, flank steak, sugar-vinegar mixture, orange zest, sesame oil, Grand Marnier, and hot chili paste. Stir-fry until all of the ingredients are well-blended, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
IN CANTONESE, the word kew means “large chunk of meat.” Beef Kew was a familiar item in Chinese restaurants during the ‘40s and ‘50s. For a more refined version, we use the most tender cut of beef, the luxurious filet mignon, and pair it with asparagus, a vegetable that is relatively new to China. But the secret is in the sauce, which is spicier than the original Cantonese recipe. Makes 4 servings
Hunan Steak Kew
12 ounces filet mignon, cut across the grain into slices 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ¼ inch thick
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil, for passing through
6 asparagus stalks, tough ends discarded, spears peeled and sliced diagonally into 1 ½-inch-long pieces
Sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons hot chili paste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons Chicken Stock (page 70) or canned chicken broth
2 scallions, white part only, trimmed and sliced diagonally into ½-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick
1 teaspoon hot chili oil, optional
1. Mix the filet mignon, egg white, cornstarch, salt, and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come about 1 ½ inches up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 325°F. Add the beef slices, one piece at a time to keep them from splashing oil and sticking together, and stir gently until they turn light brown, about 40 seconds. Add the asparagus and stir for 20 seconds. Transfer the beef and asparagus to a colander, and drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the wok.
3. To begin the sauce, mix the vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, and hot chili paste in a small bowl, and set it aside. Dissolve the cornstarch in the stock in another small bowl, and set it aside.
4. Return the wok with the oil to high heat. Add the scallions and garlic, and stir-fry until they are fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the vinegar mixture and stir for 10 seconds. Then stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return the beef and asparagus to the wok, and stir-fry until they are evenly coated with the sauce, about 20 seconds. Add the hot chili oil, if using, in the last 5 seconds. Serve immediately.
INSPIRED BY chef Daniel Boulud’s short ribs braised in red wine, I experimented using the traditional red-cooked technique that is popular in the ancient cities around Shanghai: Suzhou, Hangzhou, yangzhou, and Wuxi. Red-cooking uses soy sauce and sugar, and traditionally the technique means braising the food, usually meat, until meltingly tender. The ribs are nestled on a bed of spinach. The meat is taken off the bones to allow diners to use chopsticks. Makes 2 to 4 servings
Red-Cooked Beef Short Ribs
2 ½ pounds beef short ribs, cut by the butcher into 8 pieces about 2 inches long
5 cups dry sherry or red wine
½3 cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed
One 1 ½-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, flattened with a cleaver
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
3 dried small hot red chilies
3 whole star anise