Stir-Fried Beef and Celery (Qincai Niurousi, 芹菜牛肉丝）
The Mala MarketIngredients
For the Beef
- ½ pound (225 grams) lean beef, such as flank steak or sirloin
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
For the Stir-Fry
- 2–3 ribs (3 ounces / 85 grams) celery, ideally tender stems from the inner stalk
- 1 small mildly spicy red pepper (such as Fresno or cayenne)
- 2 inches (15 grams) ginger
- 1–2 teaspoons Pixian red-oil doubanjiang (amount will depend on how much chili oil you want; see Note)
- 1 teaspoon 3-year Pixian doubanjiang
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce (preferably Zhongba)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ teaspoon black vinegar (preferably Baoning)
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3–5 tablespoons vegetable oil (amount will depend on how much chili oil you want; see Note)
Instructions
- Cut the beef into thick matchsticks, about 2.5–3 inches long and ⅛ inch thick. Make a starch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water. Add the slurry to the beef along with the Shaoxing wine, salt and baking soda; mix until well combined; the beef will absorb the marinade. Coat the meat with the oil and mix everything again to combine.
- Cut the celery into 3-inch-long pieces, then thinly slice them lengthwise. Slice the chili diagonally into ½ inch-wide rings. Peel and julienne the ginger. Finely chop both styles of doubanjiang.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, black vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
- In a wok, heat 1–3 tablespoon(s) of oil on low. Add both doubanjiangs and fry it for 2–3 minutes, until the oil is a vibrant red and the paste is fragrant. Transfer the doubanjiang and oil to a small bowl and set it aside. Wipe the wok clean.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok and heat it over medium-high. When the oil is hot (the wok should almost be smoking), add the beef slivers; they should sizzle immediately upon contact. Quickly stir-fry for 1 minute, until the beef is no longer pink and some parts have browned a bit.
- Return the fried doubanjiang to the wok and toss to coat the beef. Add the ginger, red chili and celery, and quickly stir-fry everything together for 1 minute, until the celery is lightly cooked but retains its crunch. Pour the sauce into the work and stir-fry the mixture for 1 final minute, until everything comes together and the flavors meld. Serve immediately.
Notes
In restaurants, jiachang-flavor dishes often use a bit more red douban-infused oil than you’ll find in versions made in home kitchens. The photo we show here follows that style, as it is what most people outside of Sichuan are used to. If you’d like this style of dish, use the maximum amount of red-oil douban and cooking oil called for in the recipe; if you’d like a subtler homestyle dish, use the minimum amounts called for.