Stir-Fried Beef in Sweet & Sour Sauce

Stir-Fried Beef in Sweet & Sour Sauce (中式牛柳) is an oldie favorite that I’ve had many times in Hong Kong restaurants. I love the taste of tender beef blended with the yummy, sweet and sour sauce. In Chinese family cooking, we usually stir-fry beef with different vegetables. I think it’s a very healthy combination. If we want to stir-fry beef just right, not over cooked, yet not too rare, it needs some skills and experiences. There’s a secret to stir-fry beef with vegetables. Timing and heat are very important factors to get tender and juicy beef. Above all, choosing the right beef is the key to success. I’ve a brother who is a chef working in a famous hotel in Hong Kong. He told me that the first and utmost thing is to buy first grade beef fillet to stir-fry, that the beef must be fresh and bright in color. Then anyone can ensure his/her cooking with half success in the beginning.

Ingredients:

200 grams beef fillet
1/4 green capsicum
1/4 red capsicum
1 onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
a dash of Shaoxing rice wine（紹興酒）

Marinade:

2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn flour
1/2 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg yolk, whisked

Seasoning:

2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth, unsalted
2 teaspoons corn flour
1 little piece of brown sugar (片糖)
a dash of sesame oil

Method:

1. Rinse green and red capsicums, cut into long strips. Slice onion.

2. Rinse beef fillet, wipe dry and cut into thick strips. Stir in marinade and leave for 25 minutes. Then sauté beef strips on high heat until medium rare. Set aside.

3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to sauté onion until turns light brown, add minced garlic, green and red capsicums. Sprinkle with salt, wine. Continue to sauté for a while. Pour in seasoning mixture and stir well. When the sauce boils again, put in beef strips, stir well. Dish up and serve hot.