Canadian Ginger Beef! With its succulent battered and deep-fried strips of beef. It holds a special place in the hearts of those who relish both flavor and texture in their culinary experiences. Upon biting into these crispy strips of beef, one is met with a symphony of tastes. Thanks to the saturation of savory, sour and sweet with a bit of heat, stir fry sauce that awakens the soul.Such an incredible dish is complemented by a side of white steamed rice. The neutral flavor provides a soothing counterpoint to the Ginger Beef's vibrant flavors. Accompany this with salted cabbage, that will introduce an appealing crunch, further enhancing the dish's complexity. Optionally, a bowl of Miso soup can be a further addition to sip on. Making it the ideal accompaniment to the vibrant and spicy notes of the main course.
Servings: 4 portions
Equipment
- 4 Bowls for the Batter & Beef, Stir Fry Sauce, & Vegetables (Carrots & Ginger/Garlic & Green Onions)
- 1 Digital Scale
- 1 Pot to hold the hot oil
- 1 Sieve for straining the Hot Oil
- 1 Wok with Spatula
- 1 Spider to scoop the ginger beef out of the hot oil
- 1 Large stainless steel bowl to hold the Crispy Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb Flank Steak or Sirloin - Julienne across the grain french fry size
- As Needed Oil - for Deep Frying
Ginger Beef Batter
- 1 1/4 C Cornstarch
- 1 C Cold Water
- 1 Whole Egg
- 3 Tbl Flour
- 1/2 Tbl White Pepper
Vegetables
- 3 Large Cloves of Garlic - Julienne, sliced or chopped
- 2-3 inch Ginger Root - Julienne
- 1 Large Carrot - Julienne
- 1-2 Stalks Green Onion - Julienne, save the top parts and slice for garnishing
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/4 C Cold Water, Sugar & Soy Sauce - each
- 1/2 C Chinese Red Vinegar
- 1 Tbl Chinese Cooking Wine - like Sake or rice wine
- 1 Tbl Korean Chili Flakes (Gochugaru)
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Chili Flakes - or more for spicier
Instructions
- Prepare Beef & Batter: Combine the ingredients for the Batter into a bowl and mix well. Julienne the Beef into about the same size as fries. Add it to the batter and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more. This can also be done first thing in the morning or the night before.
- Prepare Vegetables & Sauce:Combine the Stir Fry Sauce into another bowl and mix well. Set aside until needed. Place a large Pot on the back burner (no heat), enough to hold all the Hot Oil and a fine sieve on top in order to strain out any bits. Wash & Prepare the Vegetables. Julienne the Green Onions, saving the top to slice and garnish. Julienne Carrots, Garlic, and Ginger. Set apart the Carrots & Ginger to deep-fry with the Beef, and the Green Onions & Garlic to stir-fry in the wok.
- Deep Frying: Heat over Max, enough oil to come up about halfway up the Wok or a bit less, fit with a thermometer so you can gauge the heat. When the Oil hits 375F, quickly add half of the battered beef one at a time and break them apart while frying for 5 minutes. Scoop them out with a spider to a large stainless steel bowl for holding, and repeat with the second batch. Allow the Oil to reach 375F again before adding back in all the Ginger Beef with the julienne Carrots & Ginger to fry 1 minute or so, until the strips crisps right up. Scoop everything out with a spider and set aside. Empty the Oil, through the sieve and into the pot.
- Stir Frying: Place the Wok back on the heat (max). Empty the Vegetables (Garlic & Green Onions) in and mix. Almost immediately follow with the sauce. Bring it to a boil and hold for 2 minutes. Toss in the Crispy strips of Beef with Carrot & Ginger. Toss well to coat evenly, serve right away. Garnish with sliced Green Onion tops and optionally with Sesame Seeds.
Notes
Heat Level: Gochugaru contributes a wonderful flavor and nice color, but is a very mild heat. For this reason, Crushed Red Chili Flakes are included in a small amount for a decent heat. If more heat is desired, increase the Red Chili Flakes. However, I do suspect that another more mild Chili Flakes were used and believe that the Gochugaru isn't too far off in terms of heat with a slightly different flavor profile.
Ginger Pork: This Ginger Beef recipe can also use Pork, the same way for a Ginger Pork recipe. This may be preferable for some as it is a cheaper alternative, using Pork Loin or Chops.
Rice: If making rice to serve with this dish. Start deep-frying the Ginger Beef, when 15 minutes of cook time remain for the rice or when the rice is done cooking and just kept warm until the ginger beef is ready. A 1:1 ratio of Rice to Water is sufficient, maybe a splash of sesame oil. Use Sekka Select, Calrose, Jasmine or American Rice.