THINLY SLICED BEEF 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:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan. Sprinkle 700g stewing steak chunks with 30g plain flour and brown well in three batches, adding an extra 1 tbsp oil for each batch. Set the browned meat aside.
• Add in the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the casserole dish, followed by 1 large thinly sliced onion, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, both finely sliced. Fry until softened, around 5-10 mins.
• Return the beef to the pan with 2 tbsp tomato purée and 2 tbsp paprika. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins.
• Add in 2 large diced tomatoes, 75ml dry white wine and 300ml beef stock. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins - 2 hrs. Alternatively, cover and cook it on the hob on a gentle heat for about an hour, removing the lid after 45 mins.
• Sprinkle over 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in 150ml soured cream and serve.