This probably isn’t the first time you glanced at one of our Asian dishes, and then down at the recipe, and thought to yourself, “Okay, that Sichuan Beef Stir-Fry looks good, but Shaoxing rice wine? Sichuan Peppercorns? Chingkiang rice vinegar? Chili bean paste?”
You may not have any of these Asian ingredients in your kitchen, and you’re not planning on running out to get them for just one recipe.
But if you have been following along on Season with Spice and taking a look through our Asian recipes, you may have noticed that with just a dozen or so Asian spices and ingredients, you can cook up an endless array of Asian dishes.
That’s led to many of the same questions from customers, including a recent one from a customer in Virginia, “Are you planning on selling the bottled stuff like the Chinese black vinegar at any point in time?”
Yes! As Season with Spice continues to grow, and we share more Asian recipes, we want to transform our store into a place that not only offers a variety of Asian spices & blends, but also the essential Asian cooking ingredients for you to start making the dishes at home.
So you have Shaoxing rice wine, Chingkiang black vinegar, and spicy Chili bean paste ready in the kitchen when we post recipes like this Sichuan Beef Stir-Fry with Chili Bean Sauce…
As the name implies, the key to this Sichuan Beef Stir-Fry recipe is in the chili bean sauce.
With a spicy, salty, beany flavor, Dou Ban Jiang 豆瓣酱 (Chili bean paste) – a fermented concoction made from broad beans, soy beans, salt, red chilies, rice, and spices – is mixed with rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar to create a pungent sauce that can only be tamed with Sichuan pepper, and can only be truly appreciated when stir-fried with beef.
Sichuan Beef Stir-Fry with Chili Bean Sauce – the perfect reason to make room in your kitchen for a few more Asian ingredients.
Sichuan Beef Stir-Fry with Chili Bean Sauce
By Season with Spice
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb beef sirloin steak - cut into thin strips
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp of Sichuan peppercorns - crushed
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup of unsalted, dry roasted peanuts
2-3 scallion - finely chopped
For the sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp chili bean paste (dou ban jiang/ 豆瓣酱)
1/2 tbsp peanut butter or sesame paste, optional
2 tbsp Chingkiang black vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tsp sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
2 tsp cornstarch
Method:
1. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.
2. Heat a wok or a large saute pan over high fire. When the wok is hot (it's ready when a bead of water evaporates on contact with the wok), add in the peanut oil, swirl to coat the wok, and then reduce the heat to medium fire. Add in the crushed Sichuan peppercorns and toss for a few seconds until fragrant. Add in the beef and let sear on one side for about 30 seconds. As the meat starts to turn brown on the edges, turn to cook the other side. Add in the chili bean sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute or until sauce boils and thickens. Add crushed peanuts and scallion, and stir to combine. Lastly, swirl in toasted sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
3. Serve with rice, along with steamed bok choy, stir-fried garlic spinach, or kale.
By Season with Spice
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb beef sirloin steak - cut into thin strips
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp of Sichuan peppercorns - crushed
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup of unsalted, dry roasted peanuts
2-3 scallion - finely chopped
For the sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp chili bean paste (dou ban jiang/ 豆瓣酱)
1/2 tbsp peanut butter or sesame paste, optional
2 tbsp Chingkiang black vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tsp sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
2 tsp cornstarch
Method:
1. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.
2. Heat a wok or a large saute pan over high fire. When the wok is hot (it's ready when a bead of water evaporates on contact with the wok), add in the peanut oil, swirl to coat the wok, and then reduce the heat to medium fire. Add in the crushed Sichuan peppercorns and toss for a few seconds until fragrant. Add in the beef and let sear on one side for about 30 seconds. As the meat starts to turn brown on the edges, turn to cook the other side. Add in the chili bean sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute or until sauce boils and thickens. Add crushed peanuts and scallion, and stir to combine. Lastly, swirl in toasted sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
3. Serve with rice, along with steamed bok choy, stir-fried garlic spinach, or kale.
