Szechuanese cooking has gained overwhelming popularity both within and out of China’s borders. Among its rich selection of dishes, Poached Beef in Hot Chili Oil, also commonly known as “Water Boiled Beef”, is a staple choice and a must-try.
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Don’t be fooled by the name and think the dish is bland. On the contrary, this dish is bursting with flavors. The beef slices are steeped in a rich sauce of fragrant, hot spices, while their savory and tender texture is nicely preserved. On a frigid winter day, there is nothing more satisfying than enjoying a bowl of sizzling hot beef in chili oil. And don’t forget to eat it with a bowl of steaming white rice.
Poached Beef in Hot Chili Oil Ingredients:
- Beef with marbling
- Celery lettuce (may substitute with other green leaf vegetables)
- Garlic green
- Parsley
- Dried chili
- Dried Szechuan peppercorn
- Pepper
- Salt
- Pixian broad bean paste
- Chicken stock powder
- Soy sauce
- Peppercorn oil
- Egg white
- Starch
Poached Beef in Hot Chili Oil Directions:
- Cut the beef into 1/4 inch slices. Remember to cut against the grain.
- Cut the garlic green at a diagonal into 1.5-inch segments.
- Marinate the beef with egg white and starch, add some salt.
- Stir fry dried chili and Szechuan peppercorn with a little oil on low heat.
- Remove the chili and peppercorn onto a cutting board, cut into small pieces with the cleaver. Set aside for later.
- Stir fry the vegetables. Add a little salt and cooking wine. Cook until 80% done, and place the vegetables at the bottom of the serving bowl.
- In the wok, add cooking oil, stir fry ginger slices and broad bean paste.
- Add water, pepper, soy sauce, peppercorn oil, and chicken stock powder.
- Stir fry until fragrant, add soup stock.
- Lower the heat, then place the beef slices into the wok, piece by piece, then turn up the heat.
- Thicken the juice by adding a little starch, cook for about one minute, and pour the content into the serving bowl where the vegetables reside in the bottom, having been set aside from previous step.
- Heat up some oil in the wok.
- Drizzle the Szechuan peppercorn and chili, previously prepared and set aside, on top of the beef.
- Finally, pour the scorching hot oil on top of the peppercorn and chili, garnish with some parsley. The dish is ready to serve.
Poached Beef in Hot Chili Oil History:
Sources say that Poached Beef in Chili Oil was invented by salt workers in Szechuan province during Song dynasty China (960-1127 CE). At the time, salt excavation in Szechuan used cattle as beasts of burden. Beef, salt, chili and peppercorn were readily available, so salt workers came up with this savory and satisfying dish.
Poached Beef in Hot Chili Oil Behind-the-Scenes:
Chef Jiang demonstrated how to cook this dish following the traditional recipe. Having trained in the traditional culinary discipline and having worked in the kitchen for decades, Chef Jiang understands the secret art of traditional Chinese cooking and insists on using the freshest and highest quality ingredients, and stresses on keeping the kitchen tidy and neat.
“In the restaurant business, it’s normal to have some food wasted due to spoiling. You buy a fish, but none of your customers order fish that day. So you put the fish in the freezer. After three days, you can’t serve the fish to your guests anymore. Of course there’s nothing wrong with the fish. Maybe you can cook the fish for yourself, but you shouldn’t serve it to your guests,” said Chef Jiang.
Having come from the old school, chefs like Chef Jiang understand the connection between food and culture. Traditional Chinese cooking is full of wisdom. On top of making flavorful and healthy dishes, it guides us to follow good principles and return to our true selves.
