Sichuan dry fried shredded beef 干煸牛肉絲

Dry fried shredded beef or 'gun ban niu rou si' 干煸牛肉絲 is a delicious Sichuan dish.

'Gun ban' 干煸 is a twice cooked method whereby meat or vegetable is shallow fried with oil till dry and brown, this frying gives a lot of flavour to the meat or vegetables. The fried meat or vegetable is then stir fried with a spicy and savoury flavour. Famous 'gun ban' dishes are dry fried shredded beef or 'gun ban niu rou si' 干煸牛肉絲 and the other is dry fried green beans 'gun ban si ji dou' 干煸四季豆

I love dry fried shredded beef. The meat is quite chewy but very tasty. The flavour is very fragrant with a full on spicy flavour; a combination of dried chilli, chilli bean sauce, sichuan pepper and ginger. The celery also given a nice flavour to the dish.

Here is my recipe if you are interested.

Gan ban niu rou si 干煸牛肉絲

Ingredients:

500g lean beef steak (rump or sirloin)
2 sticks of celery
a small handful celery tender leaves, roughly cut
1 small or half large red sweet pepper (or can sub with a small carrot)
1 thumb size ginger, peeled and finely shredded
2 - 4 large dried chillies
1 tbsp sichuan peppercorns
1 rounded tbsp chilli bean sauce (best use Pixian 郫县豆瓣)
about 1.5 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
dash of light soy to taste
0.5 tsp sugar
pinch of ground sichuan pepper

about 6 - 7 tbsp cooking oil


Method:

1. To prepare the beef, remove any gristle. Pat dry the beef with kitchen paper to absorb as much moisture as you can. Cut the beef into thin long strips, as thin and long as possible. No need to marinate.
   
2. Cut/shred the celery and red pepper into long thin strips too. Cut ginger into matchstick size.
3. Dried chillies, de-seeded and cut into chunks
4. Heat oil in wok then add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies. Fry till the oil is very fragrant and chillies have turned almost black. Remove the chillies and peppercorns. Keep the chillies to add back to the dish later. Discard the peppercorns unless you like the crunch.
   
5. While the oil is still very hot, turn the heat up to maximum. Add in the beef and spread it out but do not stir. The oil will start to boil rapidly. Wait till the oil stop bubbling and becoming clear again, then stir and fry till the beef is lightly brown and crisp a little on the edges. Push the meat to one side, turn the heat down to low. Remove most of the oil and leave about 1 tbsp.
   
6. Turn the heat back on to high. Add ginger and chilli bean paste and stir fry briefly then add cooking wine. Add in the previously fried dried chilli (and sichuan peppercorns if you like the crunch).
   
7. Add celery and red pepper and stir fry till vegetables are softened to your liking. Then stir in the celery leaves.
   
8. Seasoned with enough light soy sauce to taste, pinch of sugar and pinch of ground Sichuan pepper.