Tender Stir-Fried Beef Slices (Nen Chao Niu Rou Pian)

Steps

1. 1

   Step 1

   

   Choose yellow cattle beef if possible for better texture (water-injected beef is slightly inferior). Slice the beef as thin as possible. If you have trouble cutting with the grain, ask the butcher to slice it for you when you buy it.

   ✅ Done when: Done when you have uniformly thin, even slices of beef ready to marinate.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Marinating ↗
   

   Place the beef (1 jin / 500 g) in a bowl with salt (the author uses a small salt spoon, so only a little), 2 spoonfuls of light soy sauce, 1 spoonful of oyster sauce, and 4 garlic cloves cut into slices. Mix everything together evenly. Note: these amounts are for 500 g (1 jin) of beef.

   ✅ Done when: Done when the seasonings and garlic are evenly distributed through the beef.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Starch-coating chicken ↗
   

   After mixing in the seasonings, add a small amount of sweet potato starch and toss well so every piece of beef is coated in a thin layer of starch.

   ✅ Done when: Done when each slice carries a light, even coating of sweet potato starch.

4. 4

   Step 4

   

   The fully mixed beef should look glossy with good color.

   ✅ Done when: Done when the marinated beef looks evenly coated with a nice sheen and color.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Marinating ↗
   

   Pour in two tablespoons of cooking oil and mix well, so the beef locks in its flavor and moisture.

   ✅ Done when: Done when the oil is evenly mixed through and the slices glisten.

6. 6

   Step 6180 min

   Marinating ↗
   

   Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before stir-frying. Chilling the beef in the fridge also helps it age (purge lactic acid), which makes it taste better. Note: the marinated 500 g (1 jin) of beef keeps in the fridge for two to three days; for a family of two or three, take out half each time you fry.

   ✅ Done when: Done after the beef has chilled in the refrigerator for several hours.

7. 7

   Step 7

   

   Prepare the vegetable accompaniments: snow peas, chili peppers, and carrot slices.

   ✅ Done when: Done when the snow peas, chili, and carrot slices are cleaned, cut, and ready at the stovetop.

8. 8

   Step 8

   

   Since the marinated batch is large, the beef is not all fried at once. Take out the amount of beef you want to cook and add it to the wok together with the chili peppers.

   ✅ Done when: Done when the beef and chili are in the hot wok together, ready to stir-fry.

9. 9

   Step 91 min

   High heatStir-frying ↗

   Over high heat, once the oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry for 10-15 seconds. As soon as all the beef has changed color, remove it from the wok. Beef that cooks too long turns tough.

   ✅ Done when: Done when all the slices have just turned from pink to brown, about 10-15 seconds.

10. 10

    Step 10

    

    Transfer the fried beef to a plate and set aside. If you are not stir-frying it with vegetables, it is ready to eat at this point and tastes excellent.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the beef is plated and still tender.

11. 11

    Step 11

    

    With the beef removed, the oil from frying the beef remains in the bottom of the wok. Add the snow peas and carrot.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the snow peas and carrots are in the hot oil and beginning to stir-fry.

12. 12

    Step 121 min

    High heatStir-frying ↗
    

    Add a little salt and stir-fry until the vegetables are just cooked through. Then return the fried beef to the wok, drizzle in one tablespoon of light soy sauce for color, and stir-fry quickly for 3-5 seconds before turning off the heat.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the vegetables are crisp-tender and the beef is heated through, after just a few seconds of tossing.

13. 13

    Step 13

    

    The finished dish.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the beef and vegetables are combined and glossy, ready to serve.

14. 14

    Step 14

    

    Plate the dish.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the stir-fry is fully plated.

15. 15

    Step 15

    Stir-frying ↗
    

    Another variation the author made: beef stir-fried with celery. Beef and celery pair very well together and taste great. The method is the same - fry the beef and remove it, briefly stir-fry the celery, then return the beef to the wok and toss everything together.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the celery is crisp-tender and the beef is evenly combined back into the wok.

16. 16

    Step 16

    

    Beef can also be stir-fried with carrot and green bell pepper - beef marinated this way is delicious stir-fried with just about anything.

    ✅ Done when: Done when the beef and vegetables are stir-fried together and everything is just cooked through.