Chinese Meats Recipes - Beef with Bitter Melon Recipe

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons raw rump steak

• salt and Ve-Tsin (M.S.G.)

• ginger sherry

• 1/2 teaspoon corn-flour

• 3 tablespoons bitter melon

• 2-3 thin slices fresh ginger

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tablespoon black Soya beans

• peanut oil

• few drops sesame oil

• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 dessertspoon sugar

• 4-5 tablespoons hot chicken stock

• 1 level teaspoon corn-flour

• 1 tablespoon water

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Method:

1. Cut the steak diagonally into thin slices. Add a tiny pinch salt, tiny pinch Ve-Tsin, few drops sherry, t teaspoon corn-flour and work well into the steak.

2. Cut the bitter melon into strips and drop them into boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, drop into cold water to crisp them and drain again.

3. Crush the ginger, garlic and black bean and mix them together to a paste. Let enough oil for deep frying be heating gradually. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying-pan.

4. Add the ginger-garlic-bean mixture and the bitter melon and cook for a few seconds, tossing and moving them about. Add 1/2 teaspoon ginger sherry, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar (because the melon is still a little bitter), stock and another pinch salt and pinch Ve-Tsin. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes.

5. The deep oil should by now have reached a temperature of 375°F. or 190°C. - that is when a dried slice of raw potato, dropped into it, rises quickly to the surface. Fry the steak in it for 2-3 minutes.

6. Blend the corn-flour with the water, stir it into the first mixture and boil for  1 1/2 minutes. Add the drained fried meat. Turn all into a heated dish and serve.