Orange Beef

Orange Beef Recipe
Source: The Heritage of Chinese Cooking
Serves 4


Chieh translates as "lucky one" and describes the beloved mandarin (tangerine) tree.As an ornamental shrub, the mandarin orange is traditionally displayed in the home to celebrate Chinese New Year. As a high-quality fruit, it is a much sought-after cooking ingredient, especially for its peel, when dried.Beef is considered by the Chinese to be too strong in "meat" flavor and is "married" to contrasting and often sweet ingredients, such as the fruit in this dish, to render it more palatable.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 cups peanut oil
1/2 pound beef sirloin (topside), thinly sliced
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 pieces dried mandarin (tangerine) peel (available at Chinese stores), soaked in warm water for 45 minutes, and then shredded
Finely shredded orange zest, for garnish

RECIPE METHOD
Heat the peanut oil in a wok to moderately hot. Deep-fry the beef slices until the beef changes color. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Pour off the oil from the wok.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the orange zest, to the wok and simmer together for 2 minutes.
Return the beef slices to the wok and cook in the sauce over moderate heat until the sauce is reduced sufficiently to coat the meat pieces and most of the sauce has been reduced.
Toss the finely shredded orange zest through and serve.