Crispy Orange Beef

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INGREDIENTS

Crispy Orange Beef

  • ▢3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ▢500 g beef steak – I use sirloin, chopped into strips*
  • ▢2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch – not cornmeal
  • ▢pinch of salt and pepper
  • ▢Juice of 2 large oranges
  • ▢Zest of half an orange
  • ▢3 tbsp caster sugar
  • ▢5 tbsp soy sauce – make sure it’s gluten-free soy sauce if you’re gluten intolerant
  • ▢2 cloves of garlic – peeled and crushed
  • ▢1 thumb sized piece of ginger – peeled and finely chopped/grated
  • ▢1 tsp rice vinegar
  • ▢1 red pepper – sliced into chunks
  • ▢1 large onion peeled and sliced into chunks

To Serve:

  • ▢Boiled rice
  • ▢4 spring onions/scallions chopped on the diagonal

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Heat the oil in a wok or large frying. Pat the beef dry with some kitchen roll, then mix the cornflour with the salt and pepper and toss the beef in the cornflour until completely coated. When the oil is hot, tip the beef in and fry until crispy. I try not to move the meat around too much as this seems to reduce the amount of crispiness you get.
  • It generally takes about 9 or 10 minutes to crisp up the beef, with about 3 or 4 stirs during that time. Some people would say to crisp the beef in batches, but I’m far too lazy for all that, and so long as you’re using a large pan, and very hot oil you can get away with doing the lot in one go. Once the beef is crispy and cooked through, remove the beef using a slotted spoon, and place in a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess fat.
  • Whilst the beef is cooking, mix the orange juice, zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar and put to one side.
  • After the beef has been removed from the pan there should still be a little oil left. Turn the heat down a little and add the sliced red pepper and onion. Fry for a minute or two (so they’re hot but still crunchy), then pour over the orange sauce. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then add the beef back in. Give it a stir and heat through for 1 minute. If your sauce is looking too thin, you can stir in a little bit of cornflour mixed with cold water to thicken.
  • Once bubbling and thick, serve up with boiled rice. Garnish with the spring onions/scallions.

NOTES

*It’s easier to cut the steak into thin strips if you place it in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up a little.

CAN I MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE?

Yes! Replace the soy sauce with tamari. I’ve done this lots of times and it works really well. You must ensure you use the correct amount of orange juice and sugar though, otherwise the tamari can overpower the flavours.

CAN I FREEZE IT OR MAKE IT AHEAD?

This recipe works best when made and served right away. Freezing/chilling then reheating means the beef won’t be crispy.However, it does still taste really good. So if you did want to freeze it, then cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly in the wok or a microwave until piping hot throughout. You can add a splash of water if it’s a little dry.

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