Chinese Beef Curry

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Beef: Choose flank steak or skirt steak for a great value cut. Rump steak, sizzle steaks, or round steaks are also good choices. And those packets of stir-fry strips will work.
Baking soda: Also known as bicarb of soda, bicarbonate of soda, and sodium bicarbonate, this is sprinkled over the beef to tenderize it. But don't get it muddled with baking powder; that doesn't work here! 
Onion: Just a standard brown onion, but you can use a red, yellow, or white onion.
Red Bell Pepper: Feel free to substitute any color or use a mixture.
Beef broth: I like to use low sodium broth/stock as this dish has other salty ingredients. You can use chicken or vegetable broth/stock instead. 
Chinese cooking wine: Also known as Chinese Rice Wine, Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine, Shaoxing Wine, Salted Cooking Wine, or Shaoxing Cooking Wine. You can find it in most grocery stores in the Asian section, on Amazon, or at your local Asian grocery store (this is where it will be the cheapest). Use dry sherry or sake if you can't find Chinese Cooking Wine. 
Curry powder: Use whatever brand you prefer. And go for mild, medium, or hot to suit your family's taste.
Chinese 5-spice: A wonderful blend that adds warmth to the curry; you only need a little as it is quite powerful. You can leave it out if you don't have any.
White pepper: White pepper is traditional, but you can use black pepper if that is what you have. 

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• When slicing the beef, cut it across the grain (see pictures below), making it even more tender.
• Baking soda tenderizes meat amazingly well but tastes terrible, so make sure you rinse it well several times. Pat it dry with paper towel or a clean tea towel before adding it to your pan.
• When making the sauce, use cold broth/stock. This means the cornstarch/cornflour will mix without any lumps. 
• Have all the veg chopped and ready before you start cooking as it doesn't take long to cook, so having everything ready will ensure nothing gets overcooked. 
• Before adding the sauce to the pan, give it a good stir to remix in the cornstarch/cornflour.
• You don't need a wok to make this dish; a large, heavy-based skillet will work better with an electric cooktop.

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

• Add extra veg: You can add beanshoots, peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, Asian greens, or sugar snap peas to this recipe. Blanch the harder vegetables in boiling water for 2-3 minutes before adding them to the stir-fry with the onion. Softer veg can be added straight to the stir-fry before adding the sauce.
• Swap the protein: You can replace the beef with the same quantity of chicken breast, pork fillet, or a mixture of all three. Use baking soda to tenderize them in the same way. The chicken will need a couple of extra minutes of cooking to ensure it isn't raw in the middle. Otherwise, follow the instructions below in the same way. 
• Make it spicy: You can use hot curry powder to give you a spicy Chinese beef curry or add some chopped red or green chilies. 

The perfect pairing for most Chinese dishes is an off-dry Riesling, a Gewürztraminer, or a Vinho Verde. They all balance the salty flavors of Chinese takeout or at-home fakeout. Lambrusco would also be a great choice. 

If you love red wine, go for something fruity with low tannins like a Gamay, Beaujolais, or Grenache.