Tangerine Beef

American Chinese cuisine is a category of its own. It looks nothing like what I would consider "Chinese" food. So when an American Vietnamese friend of mine declared that he disliked Chinese food because it was "overcooked" and "sugary", I decided that my mission would be change minds, one by one - through cooking authentically!

Tangerine Beef (Orange Beef as it is usually listed on the menu) is a great example of how the fresh ingredients can sing for themselves - without the help of sugar or cornstarch or MSG. So there, PF Chang!

Dried tangerine peel can be found at most Asian grocery stores. It was once considered so precious that my great-grandmother would hide her stash in a tin under the bed. It lends a citrus intensity and depth to the dish, but can be left out if you really must.

TANGERINE BEEF

A - Meat and Marinade
1.5 lbs beef fillet, cut into thin slices
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (ok, just a little sugar)
2 tsp light soya sauce
2 tsp dark soya sauce
2 tsp Shaohsing wine / Vermouth
1 dried chilli (optional)
1 tbsp hot chilli oil (optional)

B - Aromatics
3 pcs dried tangerine peel - soaked in cold water for 1/2 hour or until soft, drained, and julienned
1/2 small orange - rind peeled and blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes, drained, rinsed in cold water, and julienned
1" fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
6 scallions, cut into 2" sections (separate green and white parts)
Shaohsing wine / Vermouth
Chilli sauce (optional)

C - Sauce
1/2 tsp potato starch
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp dark soya sauce

*****

A - Marinade the meat in all the marinade ingredients except the dried chilli and chilli oil for 1 hour. If you like it hot, crinkle in the dried chilli and blend in the chilli oil after 1 hour.

B - Heat 4 tbsp of vegetable oil in wok over high heat until smoke rises. Sizzle first the ginger, then the white sections of the scallions - to make the oil fragrant. Then add the tangerine and orange peels and stir-fry for a few seconds.

Add the beef slices, cooking on both sides. Splash the Shaohsing wine around the side of the wok while the beef is cooking and continue to stir-fry, adding the chilli sauce if you like it hot. When the beef is almost cooked, lower the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes so that the citrus flavors can permeate the beef.

C - Prepare the sauce by mixing the ingredients together. Add the sauce into the wok and stir as it thickens. Throw in the green sections of the scallions, give it a few more flips with your spatula, and voila! Tangerine beef.

Serve immediately with steamed white rice.