Spicy Bitter-Melon Beef pairs the bitter vegetable with tender beef enhanced with chili and the umami notes of Chinese Salted Black Beans.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Beef, Bitter Melon, Chili, Chinese Salted Black Beans
Servings: 4as one dish in a Chinese meal
Author: John Thompson
Ingredients
1/3 - 1/2lbBeef Steak strips
½Bitter Melonde-seed, sliced and blanched for 1 minute
½medium red pepper
1tbspchopped garlic
1tbspsugar
Pinchof salt
1tbspChili Black Bean Sauce – Lee Kum Kee Brand
2 - 3TbspShaoxing Wine
1scallion chopped
Instructions
Marinate the strips with a splash of wine and a pinch each of the sugar and some salt for about 30 minutes.
Heat a ½ cup of oil until shimmering and then fry the beef strips until they are brown and getting just a little crispy at the edges. Remove them and drain off all the oil except 1 tablespoon or so.
Add the garlic, and scallion. Fry until just until the aroma arises, then add the peppers and melon.
Stir-fry for a minute or so, then add the sugar and half the wine and stir until the wine has evaporated.
Add the beef, the sauce and the remaining wine. Stir a few times and plate.