Spicy Szechuan Pepper Beef Strips

JP's version of a spicy Szechuan beef dish with tender strip of beef and a real spicy kick from chile peppers.

Main Ingredients:

  • 8oz siroin tips (aka. flap meat or flap steak) cut into thin strips
  • 10 oz green chili peppers - see note below

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 tsp Corn Starch
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Meat tenderizer (optional)
  • 2 tsb dry sherry or Chinese rice Wine


Stir fry:

  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic minced fine
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine or sherry
  • 1/2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns lightly crushed

Instructions:

  1. Slice beef into very thin strips. This can be easier if the beef is slightly frozen, so put in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing.
  2. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the beef to coat. Note that the meat tenderizer is in there to give a specific tender texture. Follow the instructions on whatever tenderizer you're using. I use one with no seasoning with the active ingredient of Bromelain. Let this marinate for 30 minutes.
  3. Slice peppers into thin strips (Note: you can control the spiciness of this dish by choosing the types of peppers you use. I use a mix of green bell peppers and some spicy green chiles depending on who is eating it. If you aren't used to spicy food, try making this dish with mostly bell pepper and one jalapeno to gain some experience. Otherwise, use your experience of peppers to choose the peppers that will give you the level of spiciness you prefer.)
  4. Heat the oil in a large wok or high-sided pan good for stir-fry. Nonstick can be helpful, since the corn starch might get thick and sticky.
  5. At high heat, add the marinated beef and stir quickly.
  6. Fry the beef, removing as soon as nearly all of the red is gone (so as not to overcook) [NOTE: Especially If you're increasing this recipe, make sure to fry the beef in multiple small batches before moving each batch off to a waiting bowl. Your aim here is to fry the beef on high heat and not to braise it. Too much beef will lower the temperature of the wok.] When the beef is fried it should all be moved off to a bowl.
  7. Toss in oil, garlic and the peppers into the hot wok and stir quickly. Stir fry for 5 minutes or so until they begin to soften.
  8. Add the beef back into the pan along with all the other stir-fry ingredients and continue frying until the beef is done.
  9. Serve over rice.