BEEF: This is a very traditional Cantonese recipe for noodles with beef that is served in every restaurant. It can be easily reproduced at home.

RICE NOODLES WITH BEEF干炒牛河:

½ lb. frank steak or other tender beef

marinade for beef:

   1 tsp. rice wine or dry sherry                                   

   1/8 tsp. meat tenderizer, optional
   1 tbsp. dark soy sauce                                             
   1 tsp. tapioca or corn starch
   1 tsp. sesame oil                                          
   1 tsp. sugar
   1 tsp. grated ginger

 1 pkg. fresh or dry rice noodles***                            

 1 ½ cups fresh bean sprouts, preferably with ends removed

 1 to 2 tbsp. dark soy sauce                                         

 ½ to 1 tsp. salt

 2 slices ginger                                                             

 2 green onions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch sections

 cooking oil

**Rice noodles are flat white-coloured noodles made with rice flour. It is available as packages of freshly-cut noodles wrap in plastic bags in Chinese supermarkets. To substitute for fresh, dry rice noodles are available in most supermarkets. Just follow package instruction to soak until softened. Drain well and pat dry before use***.

 Slice beef across the grain and at an angle into thin slices. Mix marinade ingredients and marinade beef for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove noodles from package, separate noodles and set aside.

 In a wok or a large non-stick saucepan, heat oil over high heat until very hot.  Add ginger and stir fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add beef and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Do not over cook. Remove meat with a slotted spoon.

Rinse wok and place it over high heat, add oil and heat until very hot. Add noodles and toss until heated through. Alternately, put noodles in a microwavable container and cook on high power for 2-3 minutes until hot. Transfers noodles to hot oil in pan and toss to coat with oil, just before adding bean sprouts and green onion. Stir fry together for 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce, dash of sugar and salt to taste. Toss well, adding a little more soy sauce if necessary to coat all ingredients. Add beef and stir fry together for 1 minute until well combined. Serve hot.

The "thermometer" at the Visitors' Centre at the Flaming Mountain--it usually shoots up to 80 degrees C in the summer.

The Flaming Mountain of Turban--made famous by the Chinese Classics "Jouney To The West".

Tian Shan--The Sky Mountain

The Heavenly Lake up on Tianshan (Sky Mountain) in the border regions of Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan & the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. It's a must-see on a Silk Road trip.

Here is the Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfalls.

Here are pretty Guizhou girls (posing with 2 of our teammates) in front of one of the waterfalls at the Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfalls park in Guizhou.

It was fun walking up from bottom of a gorge in Guizhou, China in November 2009

BEEF: Beef with black bean sauce is a big family favourite. Just serve it on steamed rice to make a 1-dish meal.

STIR-FRY BEEF WITH GREEN PEPPERS & BLACK BEAN SAUCE:

1 lb. beef--frank steak or beef tenderloin or sirloin                            

3 tbs. cooking oil

1 large bell pepper, diced                                            

1 tbsp. minced garlic + 1 clove, mashed

1 tbsp. fermented black beans, soaked                       

½ tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry           

½ tbsp. each chopped ginger and green onion

seasoning:

   1 tbsp. dark soy sauce                                             

   1 tsp. rice wine or dry sherry

   5 tbsp. cold water

   2 tsp. tapioca starch

   ¼ tsp. meat tenderizer if using less tender cut of beef

sauce:

   ½ tsp. salt                                                     

   1 tsp. sugar

   ¼ tsp. black pepper                                      

   ½ tsp. sesame oil

   ½ tsp. each dark & light soy sauce

   1 tbsp. oyster-flavoured sauce

   3 tbsp. cold water mixed with 2 tsp. tapioca starch

           

           

           

Slice beef across the grain into thin slices and marinate beef with seasoning ingredients for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In wok or non-stick saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. oil over high heat until very hot and add garlic clove. Cook until fragrant; then add beef, carefully separating meat while stir-frying. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until meat is just cooked. Sprinkle in the rice wine & a little salt to taste. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Wipe wok or saucepan clean and heat 1 tbsp. oil over high heat. When oil is hot, add ginger and green peppers and cook for  2-3 minutes; then push to side of pan. Add the minced black bean & garlic & cook until fragrant.  Return beef to pan & toss together briefly. Mix sauce ingredients and add it into beef mixture; tossing quickly and cooking until sauce thickens.  Transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.

BEEF STOCK

BEEF STOCK:

2 lb. beef shank, cut into chunks                                

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, cut into chunks                                             

1 large tomato, halved

1 parsnip, cut into chunks                                           

1 turnip, cut into chunks

1 leek                                                                          

4 black peppercorns

2 tbsp. butter                                                               

15 cups water

additional beef bones if desired, optional

Wash bones, if using, and remove excessive fats. Cover beef and bones with the water in a large saucepan. Cover pot & bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Skim and remove the surface fat and floating particles, and strain.

Melt butter in large stock pot, sauté vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes, being careful not to let vegetables burn.  Add beef and the strained liquid, cover pot & bring to a boil. Then reduce heat & simmer stock for 2 hours.

Strain the stock again. Cool and keep in refrigerator until needed. Remove excess fat before using.

BEEF: This is a standard fare in most Chinese household. Usually green vegetables instead of peppers are used. So try the alternative way of cooking at the bottom of page.

BEEF WITH RED PEPPERS:

1 lb. beef, frank steak, sirloin or fillet            

2 red bell peppers cut into strips                                 

1 small red chilli, finely chopped

4 green onions cut into 2-inch lengths            

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger                                             

cooking oil

seasoning ingrdients:

   2 tsp. cornstarch                                          

   ½ tsp. sesame oil

   1 tsp. light soy sauce                                    

   1 tbsp. dark soy sauce

   1 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry                     

   1 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. dry sherry                                            

  

sauce:

   1 tsp. sugar

   ½ tsp. salt

   ½ tsp. each light & dark soy sauce

   1 tbsp. oyster-flavoured sauce                                                                     

Slice beef thinly against the grain and at a diagonal. Mix beef with seasoning ingredients and marinate 30 minutes.

In wok or large non-stick saucepan over high heat, heat 1 tbsp. oil until very hot. Add peppers, chilli, garlic and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add green onions and cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat 1 to 2 tbsp. oil in wok until very hot and add beef. Stir-fry at high heat quickly for 2-3 minutes, or until no longer pink. Sprinkle in the wine & a little salt to taste & toss well together. Return pepper mixture to pan. Add sauce ingredients and cook together 1 minute more. Serve immediately. 

ALTERNATELY:  Substitute peppers with any cooked green vegetables, such as bok choy, green beans, sugar-snap peas, Chinese broccoli, asparagus, rappini, etc. Blanch vegetables in boiling water for a few minutes at low heat until softened but not mushy. Drain and add salt to taste. Arrange vegetables on serving platter. Cook beef, sprinkle with wine and a little salt; then add seasoning ingredients to coat evenly. Top cooked vegetables with beef to serve.

BEEF: This recipe is a bit tricky to follow. But it is a standard method in the "lo" 鹵way of cooking. So once you master the technique, you can "lo" any meat, and enjoy the result.

SOYA BEEF SHIN鹵水牛肉:

1 ½ to 2 lb. shin of beef in 1 piece                                                     

1 thick slice ginger, crushed

soaking or “lo” mixture***:

   ½ pkg of “lo” ingredients*** or 2 -3 star anise                                                        

   ¼ tsp. salt                                                     

   1 small piece of dried tangerine peel, soaked & softened                

   3 oz. rock sugar

   ½ cup dark soy sauce                                                          

   ¼ cup light soy sauce

   2 tbsp. Chinese Rose wine***                                             

   4-6 cups water

10 hard boiled egg

sesame seed oil to brush

***”LO” is a traditional way of imparting flavour to a variety of meat, chicken, duck and eggs. The “lo” solution is a standard solution that, once it is made, is carefully stored and used over and over again. As more meat is added into it at each new cooking, the flavour becomes more enhanced. To make a “lo solution” at home, the package of “lo” ingredients gives it all the flavour of the various herbs that’s included in it. But it is equally good if the pre-packaged stuff is not available. Just use star anise as the minimum flavouring agent. The Rose wine is literally a rose-petal-flavoured wine available at the Chinese supermarket***.

Use a double thickness of muslin or cheese cloth to hold half of the package of “lo” mixture and tie with kitchen strings. If available, buy a “fish-bag”--a bag made with fine gauzy fabric--used in containing fish bones. Soak and wash it before use; and it is re-usable after washing.  

Bring rest of soaking mixture to a boil in a wok or a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve rock sugar. It is important to taste and adjust seasoning; the purpose is to arrive at a salty yet slightly sweet solution. Add more dark soy sauce for a darker solution, and more light soy if more saltiness is needed. Add more water or a bit more rock sugar if a sweeter or less salty mixture is desired. Drop in the “lo” bag of seasoning. Cover pot and simmer solution for 5 minutes.

Cut the piece of beef into half lengthwise & add, together with the ginger, into soaking mixture. Make use meat is totally submerged in the solution. Cover pan & bring back to a boil. As soon as mixture is boiling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer beef for 1 ½ hours or longer until tender. After ½ hour of cooking, remove “lo” bag and discard. When beef is cooked to desired tenderness, remove from solution and let cool. Add boiled eggs to soaking solution; then turn off heat and let eggs soak for ½ hour. Turn them over to soak the other side and let soak for 30 minutes more.

Use an egg slicer to slice eggs and arrange slices on edge of serving platter. Slice beef, when cool enough to handle, into thin slices, and arrange them in the middle of serving platter. Brush beef slightly with sesame-seed oil to glaze. Add 1-2 tablespoonfuls of soaking sauce on top to serve. Serve at room temperature.

Pour “lo” solution through a fine strainer into a glass container, if necessary, use a funnel. It is important to strain it after each use. Cool completely and freeze it until the next time it is needed. At the next cooking, defrost solution in the fridge, and bring it up to the boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the meat to be cooked. Let it boil for a few minutes before adding meat. After the last cooking, the taste of the “lo” solution would have been diluted, so it is important to add more dark and light soy sauce and sugar and adjust seasoning before using. If necessary, add the other half of the “lo” package of spices for flavour, and repeat cooking process as above.

BEEF: For those who like oxtails, this is a hearty meal when served with steamed rice.

BRAISED OXTAILS炆牛尾:

3-3 ½ lbs. oxtail                                                          

5-6 slices ginger

1 small piece dried tangerine peel***, soaked            

6 whole cloves garlic, peeled

1 star anise***                                                            

4 stalks green onion, cut into pieces

3 tbsp. “chu hou” 柱侯***bean paste                        

2 tbsp. cooking oil

2 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry

seasoning:

   ½ tsp. salt                                                     

   1 piece rock sugar*** or 1 tsp. sugar

   1 tsp. dark soy sauce                                               

   1 tbsp. oyster-flavoured*** sauce

1 tbsp. tapioca starch mixed with 3 tbsp. water

***These items are readily available in Chinese or oriental supermarkets***

Lower oxtail pieces carefully into a large pot of boiling water, with enough water to cover, placed over high heat. Cover pot and bring back to boil and boil oxtails for 5 minutes. Drain and wash oxtails under running water. Drain again.

In wok or large heavy saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. oil over high heat until very hot. Add garlic, ginger, tangerine peel and bean paste. Cook and stir together for 1 minute. 

 

Add oxtails and toss mixture together to coat oxtails with bean paste. Sprinkle in the wine, stir well; then add 4 cups water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook oxtails for 2 hours or until tender, adding some boiled water to pan if necessary to make sure there’s enough cooking liquid in the pan. Add in seasoning ingredients. When sugar has dissolved, taste and adjust seasoning. Cook 20-30 minutes more or until fork tender.

Transfer oxtails to serving platter. Add enough starch solution gradually into cooking liquid, and cook until sauce is thickened to desire consistency. Pour sauce over oxtails to serve.

NOTE:  Alternately, cook oxtails in a casserole in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 2-2 ½ hours until fork tender. Transfer casserole to medium heat on stove top. Add seasoning and cook until sugar has dissolved. Thicken sauce and serve.

BEEF: Try this recipe when mango is in season.

BEEF WITH MANGO:

12 oz. beef filet, thinly sliced and cut into strips

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and stone removed, cut into wedges

1 green pepper + 2 red peppers, diced                                    

1 green onion, cut into long pieces                                                     

1 clove garlic, crushed                                    

¼ cup sliced shallots   

3-4 tbsp. cooking oil                                                   

6 tbsp. sugar

2 cups water                                                               

1 tbsp. rice wine

seasoning for beef:

   ¼ tsp. salt                                                     

   ½ tsp sugar

   1 tsp. each light and dark soy sauce             

   1 tsp. tapioca starch

   dash of sesame oil and white pepper                       

   1 tbsp. grated ginger

   2 tbsp. water                                                

   2 tbsp. cooking oil

sauce:

   ¼ tsp. salt                                                     

   ½ tsp. tapioca starch

   2 tbsp. each sugar, tomato ketchup and white vinegar

Marinate beef with seasoning ingredients for 30 minutes. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and add mango pieces. Let stand for 30 minutes, then drain and reserve.

Add 1 tbsp. oil to wok or non-stick saucepan and heat until hot over high heat. Cook peppers until just softened. Add green onion and shallot. Cook for 1-2 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add 2 tbsp. oil and heat until hot. Add beef and stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Sprinkle in rice wine. Return vegetables to pan. Mix sauce ingredients together and add to beef mixture in pan. Cook until well mixed and bubbling, adding a little bit of cold water if sauce is too thick. Add mango and mix in. Serve right away.

BEEF: Beef cooked this way can be served on its own. It is also good to use it to toss with fried noodles or to top a plate of cooked veggies.

BEEF WITH SATAY SAUCE 沙茶半肉:

8 oz. beef fillet                                                           

2 tbsp. store-bought “satay” sauce 沙茶醬

½ tsp. tapioca starch mixed with 3 tbsp water

½ tsp dark soy sauce                                                   

2 tbsp. cooking oil

seasoning for beef:

   ½ tbsp. sugar                                                

   1 tsp. tapioca starch

   1 tbsp. light soy sauce                                              

   1 tbsp. grated ginger

   1 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry                     

   dash white pepper

   dash sesame oil                                            

   4 tbsp. water

   2 tbsp. oil

Slice beef across the grain into thin slices. Mix seasoning ingredients together and add into beef. Marinate for 30 minutes.

In wok or non-stick saucepan, heat oil over high heat until very hot. Add beef into hot pan. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Remove with slotted spoon and keep warm. Heat wok or saucepan up again with a dash of cooking oil; and add in “satay” sauce. Stir quickly for 30 seconds or so until fragrant; then return beef to pan. Toss well to coat beef with sauce.

Add soy sauce and starch solution into beef in pan. Toss well and cook until sauce is thickened; then remove from heat. Serve immediately.