Orange Beef

My first attempt at Orange Beef borrowed from several recipes. Below is something approximating what I actually did. However I did it, it was YUMMY! I served it over rice with sesame green beans.

Ingredients

2/3 lbs. flank steak, sliced across the grain and at an angle into thin strips

Marinade

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 2 T. rice wine
• 2 T. orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1-inch piece ginger, minced or grated

Sauce

• 2 T. orange juice
• 1 T. hoisin sauce
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. rice wine
• 1 tsp. sesame oil

Add-ins

• 5 small dried chilies, left whole (hot) or broken (hotter)
• 1-inch piece ginger, minced or grated
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 fresh Thai chili (or 1/2 fresh jalepeno), minced
• 1 organic orange with a nice peel (see prep below)
• 2 scallions, trimmed, sliced

1/4 c. oil for stir-frying
Rice or rice noodles for serving

Directions

Preparation
Whisk together Marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add steak slices and marinate for 30-60 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Prepare rice.

Remove outer layer of orange peel from half of the orange (use vegetable peeler) and slice into thin strips, 1-inch by 1/8 inch. Grate the peel from the other half of the orange and combine with the strips. Using a knife, remove a slice from the top and bottom of the orange, then remove the pith by slicing (carefully) from top to bottom. Section the orange, reserving the sections in a bowl for serving. Finally squeeze the parts left in your hand into a bowl to start making the sauce.

Add remaining sauce ingredients to bowl with orange juice.

Prepare dried chilies, ginger, garlic, fresh chili and scallions.

Cooking
Once rice is cooked and all other ingredients are ready to go:

Heat wok over high heat for 20 seconds. Add 1/4 c. oil to pan and heat for 15 seconds. Add beef gradually, one piece at a time, leaving most of the marinade in the bowl (reserve for later). Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Drain off all but 1 Tablespoon of oil from the wok and heat over medium-high heat for 20 seconds. Add the dried chilies, stir and cook until darkened. Add the ginger and garlic and stir briefly, but don’t let it burn. Add the fresh chili and orange peel. Add half the scallions and mix well. Return the beef to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Make a well in the center of the mixture, stir the sauce mixture and pour in. Pour in any remaining marinade (especially any cornstarch remaining in the bowl). Mix well and cook until the sauce is thickened and the beef acquires a shiny coating. Remove to a serving dish and serve, over rice, garnished with the orange slices and remaining scallions.

Copyright © 2009, Lucinda DeWitt