When I was young, I seriously thought Chinese restaurants add something to their food, because it was so addictive. I still love Chinese food to the moon and back and indulge in ordering a takeout or going to a Chinese buffet once in a while.
But ever since I started cooking at home and blogging about it, I’m a fan of recreating Chinese takeout classics at my own kitchen. I know what I put into my dishes, and they still have the same addictive taste.
This hunan beef is a classic. It’s made with short ribs which are a sligtly less leaner (but more flavorful) cut of beef. Cut across the grain, short ribs are perfect for quick stir frying. The result is crispy meat which is not chewy at all.
To make it even more tender, we will marinate the beef before cooking. This recipe is rather on a hot and spicy side, with chili, jalapenos and garlic aplenty. If you’re not into spicy food, you can reduce the amounts, given in the ingredient list below.
I also do recommend using peanut oil for stir frying, if you have access to it, as it gives the stir fry a unique flavor. And, as always with beef, when you begin frying, add your beef to the wok or skillet several pieces at a time.
The meat will release a lot of juice and if you dump it in all at once, there’ll be too much liquid and you will end up stewing your meat instead.
Simply follow the easy steps below to recreate a Chinese classic at home and your local Chinese takeout might be missing you a lot.