CRISPY BEEF STIR FRY RECIPES

Steps:

• Put 350g thin-cut minute steak strips in a bowl and toss in 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.
• Heat 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot, then add the beef and fry until golden and crisp.
• Scoop out the beef and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away all but 1 tbsp oil.
• Add 1 thinly sliced red pepper, ½ thinly sliced red chilli, sliced white ends of 4 spring onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves and thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks, to the pan. Stir-fry for 3 mins to soften, but don’t let the garlic and ginger burn.
• Mix the 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup in a jug with 2 tbsp water, then pour over the veg.
• Bubble for 2 mins, then add the beef back to the pan and toss well to coat.
• Serve the beef on noodles with prawn crackers, if you like, scattered with the remaining ½ sliced red chilli and sliced green parts of the spring onions.

Steps:

• 1. Lightly toast the peanuts in a dry frying pan, then crush in a pestle and mortar and put aside. Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger.
  2. Put 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and the star anise into the frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the mince, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, followed by half the garlic and ginger and the honey. Stir-fry for 5 minutes to crisp up and get golden brown.
  3. Meanwhile, crush the remaining garlic and ginger into a paste in the pestle and mortar, then muddle in the fish and soy sauces and lime juice to make a dressing.
  4. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
  5. Trim the spring onions, then finely slice with the chilli (deseed if you like). Prep the salad veg, breaking the lettuce leaves apart and matchsticking or finely slicing any crunchy veg so it’s all a pleasure to eat.
  6. Load up your plates with that lovely salad veg, then drain and add the noodles. Spoon over the dressing, sprinkle over the crispy beef, chilli, spring onions and crushed peanuts, pick over the coriander leaves and tuck in.