Ken Hom's beef and orange stir-fry recipe

Rustle up this mouth-watering Chinese classic from the expert himself, Ken Hom. Packed full of succulent beef pieces and citrus bursts of orange, this dish is sure to be a big hit

Ingredients

• 450g lean beef steak
• 65ml groundnut oil
• 2 dried red chilli peppers, cut in half lengthways
• 1tbsp dried orange peel, soaked and coarsely chopped
• 2tsp whole Sichuan peppercorns, roasted and finely ground (optional)
• 1tbsp dark soy sauce

½

• tsp salt

½

• tsp freshly ground
• Black pepper

½

• tsp sugar
• 2tsp sesame oil, for the marinade
• 1tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1tbsp Shaoxing rice
• Wine or dry sherry

½

• bsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
• 2tsp cornflour
• 2tsp sesame oil

Method

1. To make dried orange peel:
   1. Peel the skin off an orange, scraping away as much of the white pith as possible or coarsely grate the peel.
   2. Lay on kitchen paper and dry in the sun, an airing cupboard or in a warm but turned off oven, until dry and very hard.
   3. Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.
   4. To use, soak the required amount in warm water until it softens, then chop or slice according to the recipe.
   5. Add grated peel to dishes without soaking first.
   For the stir-fry:
   1. Cut the beef into thin slices 5cm long pieces, cutting against the grain. Put the beef into a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Leave to marinate for about 20 mins.
   2. Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the groundnut oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, remove the beef from the marinade with a slotted spoon.
   3. Add the beef to the pan and stir-fry for 3–5 mins or until browned. Remove and leave to drain in a colander set inside a bowl. Pour off most of the oil from the wok or pan, leaving about 2 teaspoons.
   4. Reheat over a high heat, add the dried chilli peppers and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
   5. Return the beef to the pan, add the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry for 4 mins, mixing well. Serve at once.