Beef with Celery

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• To marinate the beef
• 450 grams 1 lb of beef (Sirloin, flank steak, beef chuck)
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/baking-soda-cooking)
• 1/5 tsp of 5 spice powder (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/five-spice-powder)
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/light-soy-sauce)
• 1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/dark-soy-sauce)
• 1 tsp of grated ginger
• 1 clove of garlic grated

Others

• 3-4 tbsp of oil
• 1 tbsp Sichuan Dou ban Jiang (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/Sichuan-dou-ban-jiang)
• 2 tbsp of shredded ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
• 6-10 dried red chilies, cut open and seeded (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/red-dried-chilies)
• 200 grams 7 oz of celery
• 2-3 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/Shao-xing-ooking-wine)
• 2 scallions, cut into 2 inches long stalks
• 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/white-sesame-seeds-w)
• 1 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn powder or to taste (Amazon Link - https://geni.us/sichuan-peppercorns)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the beef into 1/4 inch thick strips. Then marinate with salt, 5-spice powder, sugar, baking powder, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Set it aside.
2. Cut the celery into 2.5 inches long, 1/4 inch thick sticks. Preferably use Chinese celery for a stronger fragrance.
3. Heat your wok over high heat until smoking hot. Then add a generous amount of oil and swirl it around.
4. Add the beef strips and spread them out. Pan fry for 20 seconds and flip to pan-fry the other side. Then stir the beef over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the beef is nicely charred.
5. Push the beef to the side. Add a tbsp of Sichuan Dou Ban Jiang and stir on low heat until the oil becomes bright red.
6. Add the ginger strips, garlic slices, seeded dried red chilies, and celery stalks. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add the Chinese cooking wine from the side of the wok to deglaze the bottom.
7. Add the scallion, toasted sesame seeds, and Sichuan peppercorn powder. Stir thoroughly and serve with white rice.