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Pan-Fried Beef with Golden Garlic 金蒜牛肉粒

I'm recreating a super popular Chinese dish: pan-fried beef with golden garlic! This recipe makes the beef extra tender and full of flavor, and you can stir fry instead of deep frying for a lighter version.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: beef
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 20 oz Steak any cut, remove fat and tendon: 10 oz x 2 (~550g)
  • 2-3 bulbs Garlic peeled
  • ½ tsp Baking soda 3g

Marinade

  • 1½ tbsp Chinese cooking wine 23g
  • 1½ tbsp Oyster sauce 21g
  • 1½ tsp Black pepper
  • 1 Egg white
  • 1½ tbsp Cornstarch 15g
  • 1 tbsp All-purpose flour packed, 15g
  • 1 tbsp Oil for sealing the beef

Deep Fry

  • 2-3 cups oil

Stir Fry

  • 2 tbsp Butter 25g
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Oyster sauce 14g
  • 1½ tsp Dark soy sauce 8g
  • 1 tbsp Sugar 12g
  • 1½ tsp Black pepper 3g
  • 1 tbsp Water 15g
  • Salt to taste, optional

Instructions

Prepare the Beef

  • Cut the steak into bite-sized pieces and remove any fat or tendons.
  • Tenderize the beef by mixing it with baking soda and water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse well and pat dry.

Marinate the Beef

  • In a mixing bowl, add Chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce, black pepper and egg white to the beef. Give it a good massage.
  • Then add cornstarch and flour. Mix together.
  • Add 1 tbsp of oil to seal in the flavors and let the beef marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Deep Fry or Stir Fry the Garlic and Beef

  • Heat 2-3 cups of oil in a pan to 350°F (175℃). Deep fry the garlic cloves at for about 1 minute until golden. Remove and set aside.
  • Deep fry the marinated beef and let it sit for about 1 minute without stirring to form a crust.
  • Then gently stir to separate the beef cubes and fry for an additional 3-4 minutes until the beef is golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • ***Note: If you prefer not to deep fry the beef and garlic, you can stir fry them instead until fully cooked.

Make the Sauce

  • In a bowl, mix oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and water together.

Stir Fry

  • In a pan or wok, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
  • Add the cooked beef and fried garlic back into the pan.
  • Pour in the sauce. Stir quickly to combine all the flavors, cooking for another 1 minute.
  • Taste and add salt if needed.