Black Bean Chili Oil Imitation Lobster Ball Shabu Shabu Beef Stir Fry (黑豆辣椒油龍蝦丸炒涮涮锅牛肉, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Lung4 Haa1 Jyun4 Caau2 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Ngau4 Juk6)

Think of this dish as a Chinese stir fry version of surf and turf. For those not native to North America, surf and turf refers to lobster (surf) and steak (turf), usually broiled or barbequed, served together in one dish, usually without vegetables. As is common in the USA, the lobster and steak are the main ingredients and are large in quantity. The dish is usually the most expensive seafood and steak combination dish on a restaurant’s menu.

So my stir fry version uses imitation lobster balls and Shabu Shabu beef. Imitation lobster balls can be purchased at your local Asian market and do not contain any lobster in them (they’re colored to make them look like lobster). As far as I know, you cannot purchase true lobster balls, since they would be prohibitively expensive. Shabu Shabu beef is thinly sliced and can usually be purchased at your local Japanese or Asian market. Depending upon the cut of meat used, the price can vary widely. The seafood and meat combination is commonly used in Chinese dishes, so this recipe uses those ingredients to give an Asian take on a favorite American dish.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Imitation lobster balls (龍蝦丸, lung4 haa1 jyun4)
¾ lb.	375 g.	Shabu Shabu beef (涮涮锅牛肉, saan3 saan3 wo1 ngau4 juk6)
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)
1 lb.	500 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho4 laan4 dau6)
10	10	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung1 gu1), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
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

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Laoganma brand Black Bean Chili Oil (黑豆辣椒油, hak1 dau6 laat6 ziu1 jau4) or equivalent
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 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Laoganma Brand Black Bean Chili Oil
(黑豆辣椒油, hak1 dau6 laat6 ziu1 jau4)

1. If using frozen imitation lobster balls, thaw the lobster balls in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Take the imitation lobster balls out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Cut the lobster balls in half.
2. Marinate the beef in a covered container 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. Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
4. Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the snow pea with the other.
5. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
6. Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces.
7. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Laoganma brand Black Bean Chili Oil or equivalent, 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 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. Transfer the beef to a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the imitation lobster balls. Stir fry the lobster balls and then transfer to the bowl with the beef.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the beef.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the snow peas. Stir fry to brown the snow peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the beef back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
5. Add the green onions and sauce ingredients to the wok, and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. 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 Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.