Speedy Crispy Chilli Beef - Recipe by Becky Excell

Ingredients

Vegetable oil in a spray bottle, for greasing
1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and cut into 1 cm chunks
50 g gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp salt
250 g beef sirloin steak, sliced into very thin strips

For sauce:

100mL rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs garlic-infused oil
150 g caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 Tbs gluten-free soy sauce
3 Tbs water
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Method

Heat or preheat the air fryer to 200 C. Lightly grease the base of the air fryer basket or crisping tray by spraying it with oil.

Add the red pepper and air fry for 10–12 minutes until slightly blackened in places.

Place the flour in a large bowl and stir in the salt. Dredge each individual piece of beef in the flour (leaving it in the bowl) and repeat until all the beef is coated.

Remove the cooked pepper from the air fryer to a plate and generously spray the basket once more with oil. Add as many of the beef strips as will comfortably fit into the air fryer without touching and spray with oil until the flour disappears. Air fry for 10 minutes until crisp and a little golden brown at the edges, turning them over halfway through.

Meanwhile, add the vinegar, garlic-infused oil, sugar, dried chilli flakes and soy sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Put the water and cornflour in a small dish and mix well. Once the sauce is boiling, add the cornflour mixture, stirring, and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to thicken and cool for 10 minutes.

Once the beef is done, add it to the saucepan, along with the red pepper (you might need to briefly rewarm in the air fryer for 2 minutes before adding). Mix and serve immediately with egg-fried rice and prawn toast.

Tip:

Don’t get rice wine vinegar confused with Chinese or Shaoxing rice wine, which not only isn’t vinegar, but also contains gluten!

Credits: This is an edited extract from Gluten Free Air Fryer by Becky Excell published by Quadrille. Photography: Hannah Hughes. RRP $445.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Gluten Free Air Fryer by Becky Excell published by Quadrille. Photography: Hannah Hughes. RRP $445.