The recipe was a success. I mixed the beef with the egg whites first and
then tossed with the corn starch and let it sit for a while. A reasonably
thick coat stuck to the beef and it was crispy.
Not really a dish to serve on it's own since it's just meat. My wife liked
it as it was but I think it could use more sauce. There was barely enough
sauce to wet the beef.
Wayne
"Wayne" > wrote in message
...
>
> Thanks for your reply Steve
> From what I have read, it's the corn starch that absorbs oil more than the
> flour. I have also found that the flour seems to hold together and not
> fall
> off and dirty the oil like the cornstarch. They also say that cornstarch
> makes a crispier batter than flour.
> Nevertheless, many recipes just call for the corn starch. I am trying one
> with corn starch and egg white tonight in a practice session for a big
> dinner planned for the end of Oct. It calls for 1 egg white and 1 cup
> flour
> to be mixed with 1/2 lb beef. I plan to mix the beef with the egg white
> first and then mix in the corn starch because the one egg white and 1 cup
> corn starch sure won't make a batter.
> I find I have to try and alter most recipes before I feel confident to
> serve
> to guests. I have added the recipe to this post.
> Wayne
>
>
> Crispy Orange Beef
> Yield: 4-6 Servings
>
> Ingredients:
>
> 8 ounces flank steak, cut into slivers 1-inch long by ½ inch wide by
> ¼-inch
> thin.
>
> ½ Tablespoon baking soda
>
> 3 Tablespoons water
>
> 1/3 cup fresh orange rind, julienned into 1-inch lengths
>
> 2 cups vegetable oil
>
> 1 egg white
>
> 1 cup corn starch
>
> 2 Tablespoons sugar
>
> 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
>
> 1 Tablespoon sherry
>
> 2 teaspoons soy sauce
>
> 1 teaspoon corn starch
>
> ½ cup scallions, sliced diagonally into ½ inch pieces, white part only
>
> 1 teaspoon sesame oil
>
> 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier
>
> ¼ teaspoon Szechwan chili paste
>
> Method:
> In a bowl, mix the steak, baking soda and water, and marinade in the
> refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. The baking soda will tenderize the
> meat.
>
> Slice and discard the ends of the orange. Slice the orange into 8 wedges,
> cut the fruit from the rind, and save the fruit for other purposes. Cut
> away
> the pith or white part of the rind, and discard. Julienne the rind.
>
> In a wok, heat salad oil until smoking
>
> To the steak, add the egg white and corn starch, and mix thoroughly.
>
> In a bowl, mix sugar, vinegar, sherry, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of corn
> starch.
>
> Fry the beef in the hot wok for 20 seconds, remove, and drain. Clean the
> oil
> with a slotted spoon. Return the beef to the wok, and fry again for
> another
> 30 seconds, remove, and drain.
>
> Discard the oil, and to what remains in the wok, add scallions, beef,
> sesame
> oil, sherry-soy sauce, orange rind, Grand Marnier and chili paste.
> Stir-fry
> for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
>
>
>
> "Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri, 6 Oct 2006 11:37:14 -0400, Wayne wrote:
>>
>>> I have tried Chinese deep fry batter recipes that use corn starch and
>>> have
>>> always had problems. (just corn starch or corn starch and egg white)
>>> The batter is very thin or just washes off in the oil and it dirties up
>>> the
>>> oil which I would like to save in the fridge for future use.
>>> I am looking for a crispy coating such as orange crispy beef or general
>>> Tsao's chicken
>>> Could someone explain to me the proper method for using corn starch in
>>> deep
>>> frying and what I should expect.
>>> I couldn't find anything satisfactory in google.
>>> thanks
>>
>> I use a mixture of regular white flour (2 parts) and corn or
>> potato starch (1 part).
>>
>> Usually if a recipe calls for just corn starch, it usually has
>> some egg or egg white in it (along with water). That doesn't
>> produce a crispy batter for me - the egg always retains or sucks
>> up moisture. Which doesn't matter if you're cover it with a
>> gloopy sauce.
>>
>> -sw
>
>