Pan Asian: Boiled Beef Slices In A Fiery Sauce (Shui Zhu Niu Rou) Sichuan, China

Boiled beef slices in a fiery sauce

The Recipe

1 head of celery (about 1 pond)

4 scallions, white and green parts

small handful of dried chilies (8-10)

1 lb. lean beef (flank steak)

1 tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine or medium dry sherry

1/3 cup peanut oil

2 tsp. Sichuan pepper

3 tbsp. chili bean paste

3 cups chicken stock

2 tsp. dark soy sauce

4 tbsp. potato flour (mixed with 4 tbsp. cold water) or 6 tbsp. corn starch (mixed w/ 6 tbsp. cold water)

1.)   Clean and remove fibrous outer edge of celery stalks. Chop each stalk into 3 or 4 sections, then slice these lengthwise into 1/2-inch sticks. Gently crush the scallions and chop them into 3 sections to match the celery. Snip the chilies in half. Remove any fat from the beef and cut it, against the grain, into thin slices about 1 x 2 inches. Add 1/4 tsp. salt and Shaoxing rice wine, mix well, and leave to marinate while yopu prepare everything else.

2.)    Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a wok until hot but not yet smoking. Add the chilies and Sichaun pepper and stir-fry until fragrant and browned. Then quickly slide the spices out into a bowl and reserve oil in wok. When the spices have cooled down, finely chop on cutting board and set aside to use later.

3.)   Return the wok to the stovetop and heat over high flame. When smoking add the vegetables and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, adding 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt to taste. Cook until hot but still crunchy. Place onto serving bowl.

4.)   Heat another 3 tbsp. oil in wok over high flame until smoking. Turn heat down to medium , add chili bean paste, and stir fry for about 30 seconds until oil is red and fragrant. Add stock and dark soy sauce, season with salt to taste and return to a boil over high flame. Then add potato and corn starch mixture to beef and stir well to coat all pieces. When the sauce is boiling vigorously, drop in beef slices. Use a pair of chopsticks to gently separate the slices. Simmer for a minute or two until the beef is cooked. Spoon beef onto vegetables and pour over sauce.

5.)   Swiftly rinse out wok and dry well. Heat another 3-4 tbsp. oil in wok until smoking. Sprinkle the chopped chilies and Sichuan pepper over the beef dish and then pour over the smoking oil. If you are quick, the dish will still be sizzling when you bring it to the table.

Serves 2 as a main dish; 4 with rice and two to three other dishes.

Adapted from Land Of Plenty: Authentic Sichuan Recipes by Fuchsia Dunlop

 

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Pan Asian: Spicy Chicken Stew (Bjasha Maroo – Bhutan)

The flag of The Kingdom of Bhutan

The Kingdom of Bhutan, a small landlocked state in South Asia, lies at the eastern end of the Himalayas, bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by China. Bhutan is separated from the nearby country of Nepal to the west by the Indian state of Sikkim, and from Bangladesh to the south by West Bengal. I’ll admit to knowing next to nothing about this country, before I made this dish, but thankfully, the cookbook I was using, Foods of The Kingdom of Bhutan by Ernest T. and Erik Nagamatsu, which won the award for the best Asian cuisine book for 2011 at the Gourmand cookbook awards in Paris, had a lot of great photos and information. So lies the power of food! You can learn a lot about a culture by its cuisine, and if you aren’t physically able to travel there, cooking a local specialty is the next best thing.

I found this recipe to be very simple and straightforward, so I am sharing it with you on Pan Asian. With this dish from Bhutan, I think I have now covered every country in Asia! But no worries because there is still pleny of great food the explore here.

The Recipe

1 tbsp. cooking oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. red onion, finely chopped

1 piece of ginger, minced or grated

1/2 cup leek, rinsed and finely chopped

1 lb. Chicken, boneless or bone-in, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 fresh red or green chillies, sliced

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup water

salt to taste

handful of cilantro, finely chopped

1.)   Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic, ginger, onion, and leeks. Saute until lightly browned.

2.)   Add chicken, chilies, tomatoes, and water and stir. Lower heat slightly, and cover and cook for about 20 minutes (or until chicken is done). Add water during cooking if sauce becomes too thick.

3.)   Salt to taste and garnish with cilantro.

Adapted from Foods of The Kingdom of Bhutan by Ernest T. a nd Erik Nagamatsu

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