Beef in Black Bean and Chilli Sauce

Contrary to popular belief (work colleagues) I actually really like Chinese food, the problem is most restaurants or take-aways, serve up the same old thing wherever you go, they all look and taste the same and there’s very little to distinguish the myriad of places I’ve eaten in. Plus if you go with a group, someone usually suggests the set menu and you end up with the usual and stymied choices none of which are exciting or to be honest, that tasty.

Making your own is a much better option. Everything is fresher and of course cooked to your own tastes.

Chinese cooking can require some initial investment and the odd trip to the Chinese supermarket but it can be very rewarding. Some dishes can be complex but the majority are all about the prep and 5-10 mins actual cooking

This dish is one of my favourite Chinese meals, I love the flavour of black beans and amount they deliver is not in keeping with their size. I’ve never seen them in normal supermarkets so you may need to go further afield. Worry not though, they will keep in airtight container in the fridge forever (don’t hold me to this). The chilli gives it that all important kick, the various sauces are pretty standard fare but marry perfectly with the black beans.

Some prep, really tasty, why not give it a go?

600g of Rump steak thinly sliced across the grain

2 Spring Onions very thinly sliced

Marinade

2 Tablespoons of Shaohsing Rice Wine (or Dry Sherry)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

Black Bean and Chilli Sauce

1 Small red onion finely sliced

Thumb sized piece of ginger finely chopped

3 Garlic cloves roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons of salted black beans

2 Tablespoons of Shaohsing Rice Wine (or Dry Sherry)

1 tablespoon of white sugar

1 tablespoon of light soy sauce

2 tablespoons of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of malt vinegar

1 Birds eye Chilli , de-seeded and very finely sliced

100 ml of cold water

Mix the marinade ingredient, add the beef and coat thoroughly, leave for 30 mins

Heat the wok until very hot, add a tablespoon of groundnut oil, fry the beef in batches around 30 seconds per batch, remove with a slotted spoon and put to one side

Rinse the black beans in a sieve under cold water, drain and then in a pestle and mortar mash the beans into a paste like consistency

Combine in a bowl or glass the rice wine, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and malt vinegar

Heat the wok again, add a tablespoon of groundnut oil, very quickly fry the onion, garlic ginger and chilli, stirring all the time for about 30 seconds. Add the black beans, stir fry for another 30 seconds. Stir in the rice wine mixture, bring to the boil, Add the water and combine thoroughly. If the sauce looks a little thick add more water until you achieve the consistency you’re happy with

Add the beef again, bring to the boil, simmer for 2 mins

Taste

Stir through the spring onions and serve with steamed rice

Korean Sizzling Beef

Whilst I’ve gorged many a time on Chinese or Thai food and even Cambodian I’ve never tried a Korean dish before.

This is adapted (I added chilli and a little water, ok not a paradigm shift but it’s still my own touch) from Olive Magazine

I guess this dish is from Southern Korea. I’m sure the North find time to knock up something magical in-between bouts of maniacal synchronised marching in aid of the North Korean Chiropodists, employing Blue Peter to oversee their intercontinental ballistics program and their daily 30 mins of mourning the great leader, honestly I’ve seen more convincing theatrics from Luis Suarez. I’m pretty sure though this is from the south.

So the dish right, it’s awesome and unbelievably simple to do. There’s a bit of fiddly prep to do with all the fine slicing and that but otherwise its ridiculously easy.

It’s got Mirin in it, which to the uninitiated is rice wine from Japan. Unlike Chinese rice wine which has elements of sherry this has a much smoother, sweeter and weirdly malt like taste. By Malt I don’t mean your usual Sarsons but more sort of Malted milk. I’m not really selling this am I.

Trust me though it is delicious

300g rump steak , trimmed of all fat

2 tsp sugar (any type will do)

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

2 garlic cloves , chopped

1 Chilli Very finely sliced lengthways

sesame oil

vegetable oil

4 spring onions , sliced lengthways

1 tbsp sesame seeds , toasted

100g basmati rice , steamed, to serve

Slice the meat as thinly as possible. Mix the sugar, soy, mirin, garlic and 1 tsp of sesame oil, add the beef and stir well. Crack over a good grind of black pepper.

Heat a wok until very hot with 2 tsp vegetable oil. Sear the meat for a few minutes, if at this point it seems a little dry you can add a small amount of water, this thins the sauce slightly but not so much as to dilute the flavour

Then add the spring onion. Stir-fry for another minute then add the sesame seeds.

Serve with rice of your choice, in my case the egg fried variety

Finally top each plate with finely sliced Chilli if required