Sichuan beef with orange

Well is has been a while but I think it is time that I started to write some more recipes for this blog. After spending the past two years writing at least one a day if not more I began to feel a little burnt out. So taking a look at the calendar and see that it will soon be The Chinese New Year, why not start with a few dishes to celebrate that fact.  So I shall start with a nice spicy beef dish, light refreshing and flavourful.  

You will need

1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp clear honey

4 tbsp orange juice

A small pinch of ground white pepper

300g/10oz beef fillet tails

1 tbsp oil

1tsp sesame oil

100g/3½oz fresh shiitake mushrooms

Mixed salad leaves

1 orange

3 or 4 spring onion

Now if you can get them get some fillet tails as this is the sort of thing that is cheap but still a premium cut of beef. Remember that you are wanting it to cook quickly but still be pink and not thought so this is about the best cut of beef for the job. If you cannot get fillet then use a cut of beef that will cook easily, or trim it so you do nave no sinew in it and pure mussel. Also cut along the grain of the meat this will also help in it keeping tender. And cut the beef into strips.

Take the beef and add the soy sauce, clear honey, orange juice and white pepper, toss it all together and let it just marinade for a while.

Now every thing is cook relatively quickly so the next job is too peeled and segmented the orange. Then cut the mushrooms into similar sized pieces so they all cook at the same time. Dice the spring onions on an angel and place them to one side and that is you about ready to cook.

Take your wok and heat it until smoking and add the oils, then add the beef but hold on to the marinade. Quickly cook the beef for about 2 to 3 minutes so it just seals the beef, you may need to do this longer if you do not like it to rare. Then take the beef out of the wok and keep to one side.

Now add the mushroom to the wok and cook them so they just start to soften then add the remaining marinade and rice wine in to the wok. Let it all cook till the sauce goes a little sticky.

Finally to finish the dish add the beef back into the wok along with the orange segments and spring onion. Then spoon this gently over the salad and you are ready to eat. A light refreshing starter main course.