Better Than Takeout Orange Beef

Make the Sauce:

Step 1

Heat oil in a small sauce pan set over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add ginger, jalapeño and stir to combine. Sauté mixture until ingredients soften, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, then add garlic and orange zest; continue cooking until it softens, approximately 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Step 2

Add orange juice and the next 7 ingredients. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and reduces by a third, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Be careful to not let it cook down too much or else you will be left with little sauce which is also reason I like to increase the sauce (and to have enough to spoon over rice).

Meanwhile, prepare the Beef: (If using a cheaper cut of beef, refer to the Note, below)

Step 3

Combine egg white, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Add steak, tossing to coat the meat with the batter.

Step 4

In a large skillet or wok set over high heat, heat oil until it shimmers and is about to smoke. Add beef to the pan or wok in a single layer and cook without stirring until the bottoms of the pieces are crisp and golden, approximately 60 to 90 seconds.

Step 5

Add white pieces of scallion and chilies to the pan, then turn the beef pieces over and cook the other sides, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Step 6

Pour orange sauce into the hot pan or wok, let it come to a boil and add beef and white scallions and stir to coat with the sauce. Return meat and sauce to the platter and scatter geen scallions over the top. Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice.

NOTE: You can use a cheaper cut of beef, but to help it turn out tender and prevent it from being tough and chewy, you may want to use the process that Chinese restaurants use per the following:

Step 7

Mix 2 tablespoons baking soda with 3-4 tablespoons water. Place the water solution into a ziplock bag and add the cut-up strips of beef, making sure that water solution covers meat evenly. Place in fridge for 4 hours or overnight (better if it's overnight).

Step 8

Remove from fridge and rinse the beef strips well with water. This will help remove that baking soda flavor and is an important step. (Sometimes the meat can smell a bit weird, but this is normal, believe me it'll come out really tender). Pat meat dry with paper towels. Dust the strips of meat with 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch evenly and place on a cookie type of cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes or more. This is to help the beef dry out a bit and adhere it to the cornstarch providing a crispier product when cooked in the skillet or wok. Proceed with the recipe as indicated above.*