Chinese Peking Beef in Garlic Sauce or Beef in Vinegar Sauce

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Peking Beef in Garlic Sauce or in Vinegar Sauce

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Beef dishes are not as popular in China as are pork and chicken because of the poor quality of beef there. However, they are more common in Northern China than in the south. These two dishes come from the area around Peking.

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Both dishes are normally made with only the beef, sauce and seasonings without any added vegetables. Since I prefer stir-fries that are more or less one-dish meals, I have added a vegetable to each one. Feel free to remove it.

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The first recipe is for beef with scallions in garlic sauce. A full eight ounces of scallions are used in this dish, which is about two bunches, I decided to add about eight ounces of snow peas to give this dish a little crunch. I have also increased the sauce mixture appropriately.

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The second recipe calls for the beef to be in a vinegar sauce. I therefore decided that the slightly sweet contrast of red bell pepper would be appropriate. I also added some slices of bamboo shoots to improve the texture.

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Peking Beef with Scallions in Garlic Sauce:

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Difficulty:

Easy

Preparation Time:

30 Minutes

Cooking Time:

30 Minutes

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Marinade:

1 Lb. of Beef Flank Steak (cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/8 inch slices across the grain while slightly frozen)

1 Tablespoon Black Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon ground Bean Sauce

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

Mix in a bowl and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

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Seasonings:

1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic

8 Oz. Scallions cut into 1 ½ inch lengths including the green part

8 Oz. Snow Peas (break off the ends and blanch them for 30 seconds in boiling water and then set the color in cold water)

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Sauce Mixture:

1 Tablespoon Ground Bean Sauce

1 Tablespoon Black Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Dry White Wine

2 Teaspoons Chinese Red Vinegar

½ Teaspoon Sugar

1 Cup of Oil

1 Teaspoon Sesame Seed oil

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Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir-fry the beef mixture for about 2 minutes until the meat loses its redness. Remove the beef to another dish with a slotted spoon.
2. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the garlic, scallions and snow peas for two minutes.
3. Stir in the sauce mixture and heat until it begins to bubble.
4. Add the meat back into the pan, mix everything thoroughly and swirl in the sesame seed oil.

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Beef in Vinegar Sauce Peking Style

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Difficulty:

Easy

Preparation Time:

30 Minutes

Cooking Time:

30 Minutes

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Marinade:

1 Lb. of Beef Flank Steak (cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/8 inch slices across the grain while slightly frozen)

1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch

1 Egg White

Mix in a bowl and let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.

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Seasonings:

1 Teaspoon Minced Ginger Root

2 Scallions cut into pea sized pieces

1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded ad cut into 2-inch by ½-inch strips

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Sauce Mixture:

2 Tablespoons Black Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Dry White Wine

2 Tablespoons Chinese Red Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Sugar

1 Cup of Oil

1 Teaspoon Sesame Seed oil

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Cooking Instructions:

Follow the instructions for Peking Beef in Garlic Sauce except substitute ginger, scallions and red pepper for garlic, scallions and snow peas in Step No. 3. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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