Sichuan Boiled Beef (水煮牛肉)

Ingredients

• 300g rib-eye or sirloin
• 200g bean sprouts (can replace with sliced Napa cabbage midrib)
• 4 spring onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• A thumb-sized piece of ginger
• Handful of coriander to garnish
• Vegetable oil

The Marinade

• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp corn flour

Chili Paste

• 12 dried chillies
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns

The Sauce

• 4 tbsp chili bean paste
• 2 tbsp Chinese light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 600mL chicken stock

Instructions

1. On a wok at medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Fry the Sichuan peppercorns and the chillies until they become fragrant (1-2 minutes). Drain the excess oil and transfer to a mortar, crushing both ingredients to form a very rough paste.
2. Finely chop the garlic and ginger and set aside. Finely slice the spring onion and set aside in the same mixing bowl as the chopped ginger and garlic.
3. Finely slice the meat, place it in a mixing bowl, and add all the marinade ingredients. Using your hands, massage the ingredients into the meat until it is well coated.
4. Heat half a tbsp of oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer them to a bowl.
5. Add another 1 tbsp of oil to the wok and return to smoking point. Add the spring onion, ginger, and garlic mix and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the chili bean paste and stir, bring to a boil before adding the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Top it up with the chicken stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes to create a flavored stock.
6. Add the beef slices to the wok and cook in the flavored stock for 30 seconds to a minute.
7. Transfer the cooked beef to the bowl with the cooked bean sprouts. Top the bowl with the flavored stock and a couple of tbsp of the Sichuan peppercorns and chilies paste.
8. In a clean wok, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until smoking-hot and pour it over the beef bowl.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy.