Sichuan Boiled Beef (Shui Zhu Beef)

Ingredients

150 g beef steak or tenderloin (cut into thin slices, against the grain)
1 small bunch of bean sprouts, remove the roots
Pinch of salt
2 Tbs starch +1 tablespoon water (recommend potato starch or sweet potato starch)
1 Tbs Chinese cooking wine
1 1/2 Tbsp water or slightly more if needed.
2 green onions, white part cut into 2cm long and green pert chopped
2 star anises
5 - 8 dried chili pepper
1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper
1 tsp doubajiang
1 tsp dou-chi (optional)
Water as needed
2 Tbs cooking oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 thumb ginger, sliced
Coriander and green onion for garnishing

Method

Cut beef steak into thin slices against the grain. Transfer to a bowl, add pinch of salt and cooking wine. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes and then add starch and water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boiling and then blanch the bean sprouts for 1 minute. Transfer out and place at the bottom of serving bowl.

In a wok, add 1 tablespoon of oil, fry half of the chili pepper, half of Sichuan peppercorn, star anise over lowest fire until aroma. Then add ginger, garlic and green onion whites, cook for around another 30 seconds.

Add doubanjiang and dou-chi in, fry until you can see the red oil come out.

Pour around 1L water in. Simmer for around 15-20 minutes with lid covered. During this process, you may smell the strong aroma bought by the broth. Remove all the solid content and keep the soup base only.

Grasp the beef slices again to make sure they are evenly coated. Turn up fire and add the beef slices in and cook until the broth begin to boil again. Wait for around 20 to 30 seconds and transfer them out immediately. Spread the remaining chili pepper and Sichuan pepper over the beef slices.

Heat up around 2 tablespoons of cooking oil again in wok. Evenly pour the oil on the surface of the serving bowl. Be careful during the process; do not get burnt!

Credits: Elaine - China Sichuan Food

Photo Credits: Elaine - China Sichuan Food