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Conference turris::cooks

Title:How to Make them Goodies
Notice:Please Don't Start New Notes for Old Topics! Check 5.*
Moderator:FUTURE::DDESMAISONSec.com::winalski
Created:Tue Feb 18 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4127
Total number of notes:31160

2621.0. ""CHILE BEEF"" by BRUMMY::IRWIN () Wed Sep 19 1990 13:07

     A DISH THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE U.K. FROM CANTONESE RESTAURANTS IS
    CALLED "CRISPY CHILE BEEF". HAS ANYONE GOT A RECIPE FOR THIS.
    
    IT CONSISTS OF SLITHERS OF BEEF THAT ARE EXTREMELY CRISPY AND COVERED
    IN A HOT BUT SWEETISH SAUCE.
    
    I HAVE TRIED MANY EXPERIMENTS TO COPY THE DISH BUT USUALLY I END UP
    WITH A SOGGY MESS.
    
    PLEASE HELP BEFORE I STARVE.
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2621.1PSW::WINALSKICareful with that VAX, EugeneWed Sep 19 1990 15:1515
This is widely available at Chinese restaurants in the U.S., as well, but
usually at Sichuan or Hunan restuarants, not Cantonese.  It's a Sichuan dish,
I believe (witness the chile peppers).  I don't have an exact recipe, but I
think the technique is as follows.  First, prepare the sauce.  You stir-fry
some chili peppers in a small amount of very hot oil, add the vegetables
(usually scallion rounds in the versions I've seen), then stir in a standard
sweet-and-sour sauce mixture (chicken broth with sugar, vinegar, and
cornstarch).  Stir the sauce until it thickens and then set it aside, keeping
it warm.  Then coat the (possibly marinated) beef
slivers with a cornstarch- or water-chestnut-starch-based batter.  Possibly
dredging them in the starch will be sufficient.  You then deep-fry the beef
slivers until the coating is crispy and is sufficiently browned.  Pour the
sauce over the beef just before serving.

--PSW
2621.3A few additions....BPOV02::BOOTHROYDCheese balls and bean dip!Thu Sep 20 1990 14:249
    The sugar most widely used, from my knowledge, is brown and sweeten
    the dish even more with sherry and rice wine vinegar or apple cider
    vinegar.  I find arrowroot to be much better and more versatile than
    cornstarch.  This dish can be prepared with chicken instead since it's
    a sweet 'meat' - this dish is much more complimentary.  I like to add
    rice wine to some of my Asian dishes as well and stick to using peanut
    oil.  
    
    /gail
2621.4LIKE THE SAUCE, BUT THE BATTER STILL ELUDESBRUMMY::IRWINFri Sep 21 1990 06:297
    THANKS FOR THE HELP AND THE SAUCE CERTAINLY SOUNDS LIKE THE ONE. MY
    PROBLEM COMES WITH THE BATTER. EVERY TIME I HAVE DONE THE BATTER I FIND
    THAT A) IT PUFFS UP TO MUCH (THE BEEF IS NO LONGER SLITHERS BUT BLOBS)
         B) IT DOESNT GO CRISPY.
        
    I NOTE FROM REPLY .3 THAT ARROW ROOT IS SUGGESTED IS THIS THE ANSWER OR
    CAN ANY ONE SHED FURTHER LIGHT.