Crispy chilli beef

Ditch the takeaway and whip up this Chinese-inspired flash-fried steak with a sweet gingery sauce and red peppers

Ingredients

• 350g thin-cut minute steak, very thinly sliced into strips
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions, sliced, green and white parts separated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
• 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• cooked noodles, to serve (optional)
• prawn crackers, to serve (optional)

Directions

Method

• STEP 1

  Put 350g thin-cut minute steak strips in a bowl and toss in 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.

• STEP 2

  Heat 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot, then add the beef and fry until golden and crisp.

• STEP 3

  Scoop out the beef and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away all but 1 tbsp oil.

• STEP 4

  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.

• STEP 5

  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.

• STEP 6

  Bubble for 2 mins, then add the beef back to the pan and toss well to coat.

• STEP 7

  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.