Recipe: Orange Beef

ORANGE BEEF
4 servings

1 pound beef filet mignon tails or flank steak
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
2 pieces dried tangerine peel (about 2 inches long) soaked in warm water and slivered, and 1/4 cup of the soaking water reserved
4 slices peeled fresh ginger (each about the size of a quarter), slivered
1 tablespoon slivered orange zest
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

Slice the meat into thin strips about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, cornstarch, and pepper. Add the beef, toss to coat well, and let stand for 10 minutes. In a carbon-steel wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Deep-fry the beef slices, in batches, for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Pour off the oil from the wok, and reserve for another use or discard. Do not clean the wok.

Prepare the sauce: Set the wok over a high flame and add the tangerine peel, ginger, and orange zest. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the sherry, orange juice, thin soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and reserved tangerine water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add the beef to the sauce, and toss to mix and coat well. Drizzle with the sesame oil and serve immediately.