Ginger Beef

(The staple dish of Chinese take-out restaurants)

Ingredients:

1 pound beef (rouladen)
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
3 hot chili peppers
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil

Marinade:
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp ginger juice

1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp hot chili oil (optional)

Sauce:
1 Tbsp wine
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar
4 Tbsp sugar (can substitute brown sugar or honey, if desired)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp water
chili oil or chili powder to taste

4 to 5 cups oil for deep-frying
1 Tbsp oil for stir-frying

* You can find popular Chinese cooking ingredients and cookware at
ChineseFoodDIY online store at:
http://www.chinesefooddiy.com/shopping.htm

Directions:

Cut beef into matchstick strips, cutting along the grain.
(The meat is easier to cut if it is partially frozen).

To make ginger juice for marinade, peel and grate ginger.
Squeeze out juice.

Mix four marinade ingredients. Add to beef and marinate
for 30 minutes.

Begin preparing vegetables. Cut carrots, celery, and pepper
into thin strips. Mince garlic. For ginger, use the leftover
minced ginger from the preparation of ginger juice.

Mix the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Beat the egg white and add water. Add flour and cornstarch.
Mix the batter thoroughly. Drop the batter into the marinated
meat.

Heat wok. When heated, add 4 - 5 cups of oil. When the oil
is ready, add about 1/4 of the meat/batter mixture. Deep-fry
the beef until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Let oil
come back to original temperature and add more meat.

When meat is cooked, clean the wok. Heat and add 1 tablespoon
oil. When oil is ready, add the vegetables and begin stir-frying.
Pour in the sauce and let come to a boil. Add the deep-fried
beef. Toss quickly, and remove.
Sprinkle with sesame oil and serve hot.