Dry-Fried Beef Slivers

I was a bit skeptical of the cooking times on this dish, but if you're patient with the beef, magic happens. The beef loses its water and crisps up as it fries in the oil. It ends up being incredibly flavorful with just a bit of a char. I was also suspicious of the inclusion of celery stalks but they worked surprisingly well. The dish ends up a bit spicy with just a touch of numbing from the Sichuan pepper. Definitely worth repeating.

One year ago: Warm Spiced Limeade
Two years ago: Five-Spice Beef Stir-Fry
Three years ago: Eggs en Cocotte with Pesto

Dry-Fried Beef Slivers (from Land of Plenty)

Ingredients
1 lb lean beef
4 celery stalks
salt
1 1/2" piece ginger
2 scallions, white parts only
1/3 cup peanut oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 - 3 tbsp Sichuanese chili bean paste
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
chili oil
1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper

1. Cut beef evenly into thin slices and then across the grain into fine slivers, discarding fat and gristly.
2. Chop celery into 3" section and cut lengthwise into thin strips to match beef.
3. Peel ginger, slice, and cut into fine slivers.
4. Cut scallion whites into fine slivers to match ginger.
5. Add peanut oil to wok and heat over high heat.
6. Add beef to wok and mix well. Stir-fry beef for about 10 minutes. Beef will lose its juices, water will become cloudy and clear, and beef will finally become crispy.
7. As meat dries out, splash in rice wine.
8. When oil is clear, reduce heat to medium, push beef to the side, and tilt wok so oil runs down. Add chili bean paste to oil and stir-fry until red and fragrant, 30 seconds.
9. Add ginger and scallions and mix everything together. Cook until fragrant, 10 seconds.
10. Add celery strips and soy sauce and stir-fry until cooked.
11. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.
12. Serve with a drizzle of chili oil and Sichuan pepper sprinkled on top.