How to make Chinese takeaway-style Crispy Chilli Beef

  I have been obsessing over perfecting this dish for a long time, partly because it's so good, and partly because I spend so much money buying it from a Chinese takeaway! I thought to myself, wouldn't it be amazing if I could make it exactly the same as a takeaway, and have it whenever I wanted?

  So after a long while of experimenting with what can only be described as really spice beef brittle, here's my foolproof recipe to get Chinese Crispy Chilli Beef perfect at home every time.

  Ingredients (serves 2);

1 Large sirloin steak
1 Large carrot
2 Large red chillies
3 Cloves of garlic
1 Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled
Half of a large cup of white sugar
1 cup of cornflour
1 Large orange
A small saucepan half filled with oil
A third of a cup of light soy sauce
Half of a large cup of Chinese rice vinegar


  Firstly, lay the steak on a large chopping board and trim off the strip of fat that runs along one side of the steak. Now cover the meat with cling film and hit it with a heavy-bottomed saucepan until it is just under a centimetre thick.
  Now, cut the meat diagonally into half-centimetre thick slices and lay into a bowl with the cornflour, which has been seasoned generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and the zest of the orange. Coat the slices of steak thoroughly and set aside to absorb more of the cornflour.

  Now for the sauce, finely chop the garlic and ginger, and gently fry in a small amount of olive oil in a large saucepan, next slice the red chillies and add them straight to the pan, then add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar, and the juice of half of the orange.

  While the sauce is slowly reducing, deep fry the steak slices in the hot oil, and once they are dark brown and crispy, drain them on a piece of kitchen paper while you cut the carrot into thin batons and deep fry them in the same oil that you used for the steak.

  Next, add everything to the sauce and coat until sticky. Serve and enjoy with egg-fried rice and some steamed pak-choi.