Crispy Orange Beef

Adapted from the Shun Lee Cookbook by Michael Tong & Elaine Louie. The original recipe calls for about half of the amount of sauce I made, and I don't think it came out too saucy... So I say go for it!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz flank steak, cut into pieces 1"x1/2"x1/4" (very thinly sliced...)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 orange
• 4 Tbs sugar
• 4 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs rice wine
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 c cornstarch
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 3 scallions, white part only, sliced
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• juice of 1 orange
• 1/4 tsp hot chile paste

1. Mix steak, baking soda and 3 Tbs water in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (to tenderize the meat)

2. Remove the peel of the orange with a veggie pealer. Cut the zest into thin strips. Slice the rest of the orange in half and set aside.

3. To begin the sauce, mix sugar, vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce and 2 tsp cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Heat a large wok over high heat with about 1 1/2" of vegetable oil in it. Bring oil to 375 degrees.

5. Combine beef, 1 c cornstarch, and lightly beaten eggwhite. It will be kind of dry, but coat the meat.

6. Add the steak to the oil one piece at a time so it doesn't splash or stick together. Stir gently until it begins to look crispy (this happens quickly). Remove steak from oil and put in a colander to drain. Fry the rest of the beef in batches.

7. Remove most of the oil, leave 1-2 Tbs in the wok. Add sauce mixture, orange zest, scallions, sesame oil, orange juice, chile paste, and beef. Stir-fry until all of the ingredients are blended, about 30 seconds.