Szechuan Beef

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Chris and I have a pretty standard order when we get Chinese take-out: Szechuan Beef, spring rolls, and General Tso's Chicken. So when we heard that our favorite local Chinese restaurant was under new management and the menu items had changed, we were not happy campers!

Chris' mom made Szechuan carrots recently, and I asked her for the recipe so I could try to make a take on our beloved Szechuan Beef. I modified her ingredients a tad and added beef, celery and scallions to try to make an exact replica of our favorite dish, and it definitely delivered! Chris said it tasted almost exactly the same. We loved this and will definitely be making it again soon--especially since we no longer have a favorite take-out place. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce (more if you want it spicy)
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 lb. sirloin
• 2 large celery ribs, cut into matchstick-size pieces
• 4 scallions, halved and cut into quarters
• 3-4 large carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces
• Rice, cooked, for serving

Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, vinegar, hot sauce, sugar and water together in a large bowl. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture in a separate large bowl and mix with cornstarch. 

Add beef to cornstarch mixture and let sit for 10 minutes. Add celery, scallions and carrots to the bowl with the remaining marinade and let sit for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef in an even layer and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove beef from skillet and set aside on a plate.

Add vegetables and marinade to the same skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until veggies are tender. 

Add beef back to the skillet and stir to combine. Serve over rice.

Source: Adapted from a family recipe