Hot Fermented Bean Curd Beef with Bell Peppers (辣椒腐乳青椒牛肉, Laat6 Ziu1 Fu6 Jyu5 Ceng1 Ziu1 Ngau4 Juk6)

I previously posted a similar dish using regular fermented bean curd, Beef and Bell Peppers with Fermented Bean Curd (腐乳青椒牛肉, Fu⁶ Jyu⁵ Ceng¹ Ziu¹ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶). This version of the recipe uses fermented bean curd with chili as the basis for the sauce, so there’s a little more spice to the taste of the dish. Since fermented bean curd is an acquired taste, you can reduce or increase the amount depending upon your preference.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Beef flank or flap meat (牛肉, ngau4 juk6), cut into thin 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
7.4 oz.	210 g.	One 15 oz. (425 g.) can peeled straw mushrooms (草菇, cou2 gu1), drained
1	1	Green bell pepper (青椒, ceng1 ziu1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
1	1	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung4 ziu1), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
1	1	Medium onion (joeng4 cung1, 洋蔥), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
8 oz.	227 g.	Fried tofu (魚豆腐, jyu4 dau6 fu6) – 1 package
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

4 blocks	4 blocks	Fermented bean curd with chili (辣椒腐乳, laat6 ziu1 fu6 jyu5)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
½ Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
1 Tbs.	30 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Preparation Instructions

1. Prepare the beef flank or flap meat by removing any excess fat, and cut into thin 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces. Add the baking soda to the beef, allow to tenderize for 10 minutes, and then wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
2. Marinate the beef for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the beef overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Open and drain one can of peeled straw mushrooms.
4. Wash and cut the tops and bottoms from the red and green bell peppers, and then clean out the seeds from the center of the bell pepper cylinders. Make one longitudinal cut on the bell pepper cylinder, opening and flattening the cylinder, and then cut ½-inch (15 mm.) strips from the cylinders.
5. Open the fried tofu package and discard any liquid.
6. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
7. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the fermented bean curd with chili, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the beef pieces to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the beef in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Set the beef aside in a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the straw mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then remove them to the bowl with the beef.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then remove them to the bowl with the beef.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the ginger and garlic. Quickly stir fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant before adding more oil and then the bell pepper pieces. Stir fry the bell pepper pieces to brown them. Add the contents of the bowl with the beef back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together.
5. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some stock or water. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.