Ingredients

  • Steak – Once again, skirt of flank steak is a great choice, but beef tenderloin will do just nicely too.
  • Cornstarch – This is used to coat the beef before frying. Cornstarch is much better than flour for a dredge. It’s crispier and lighter.
  • Veggies – One large onion, a couple of match stick carrots, some fresh ginger and garlic, and a few green onions too.
  • Soy Sauce – There’s a lot of soy sauce in this recipe. I’ve used both low sodium and regular before. To be honest, I didn’t find any difference in the taste. If you want to lower the salt levels, use low sodium.
  • Vinegar – I love the flavour of rice vinegar in dishes like this, but regular white vinegar is great too.
  • Sesame Oil – Because I cook a lot, I have a bottle of sesame oil on hand at all times. If you have it – great! If you don’t, just use vegetable oil instead.
  • Brown Sugar – Yes, you will need to use it. It helps to caramelize the beef, helps to create a sticky, sweet sauce. And, it will balance out the saltiness of the soy sauce and the tartness of the vinegar.
  • Spices – Regular ground black pepper is used, but no salt is added to this dish. Red chili flakes can be used for heat, but can be omitted completely.
  • Sesame Seeds – These add flavour and texture, but can be omitted as well if you don’t have any.

Instructions

  1. Toss the steak with the corn starch in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and onions to a sauce pan. Sauté for two minutes until onions are translucent.
  3. Add the carrots to the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender.
  4. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Stir into the carrots and onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Lastly, add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, black pepper, brown sugar, and sesame seeds. Whisk together.
  6. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the sauce to slightly thicken.
  7. In the meantime, bring about 2-3 cups of vegetable oil to optimum frying temperature in a deep skillet. Shake the excess corn starch off the beef and fry each piece in batches until crispy. This process takes about 3-4 minutes. Drain the fried beef on paper towels.
  8. Toss the fried beef with the sauce mixture. Garnish with green onions. Serve immediately.

Source: 30 Min Ginger Beef