Dateline: February 28, 2021 Orange Beef Redux

I had a package of beef strips in the freezer and decided to make orange beef again.  I used the NYTimes Sam Sifton recipe again, as a framework and riffed on it.   

The riffs this time were adding more vegetables, broccoli again, green bell peppers, onions, and red finger peppers and jalapeno.  The big change was kind of Koreanifying it but sauteeing until crispy some dduk rice cakes.  These are the finger thickness 2 inch round rice cakes that are sold in asian markets either vacuum packed or frozen.  These were vac packed.  I grabbed a couple of handfuls from the package and cut them into thirds so they would be these crispy nuggets coated in orange sauce.

I proceeded as the recipe says by making the sauce.  I did not make it very sweet, I used about a 1 inch chunk of rock sugar instead of 1/4 c of light brown sugar as I don't like it when chinese food is too sweet.  It did not totally dissolve, so there was even less sugar.  I added an ounce of shaoxing wine as well did not reduce it by half.

For the woking bits, I fried the rice cakes first until crispy and held them in a bowl lined with paper towels.  I then fried the beef strips in 2 batches until they were nicely colored and crisp on the outside.  I used 3 T of cornstarch 1/2 t baking soda, and 1/2 t of salt in the dredge.    As the meat cooked I removed it to the same bowl as the rice cakes.  

1 precooked the broccoli florets in the microwave for 2 minutes and left them in there until there were needed.

Next I stir fried some extra ginger slices, dried red peppers until fragrant and then I added the onions and bell peppers.  Stir frying them until they got a little bit of color.  Then in went the broccoli, beef, rice cakes they got all mixed together.  Lastly I dumped in the sauce and cooked until well coated and heated through.  Dinner is served.