Hot-and-Numbing Dried Beef & Sesame Beef – Sichuan Chinese Crispy Beef Slivers
Hot-and-Numbing Beef, with chili oil, ground chiles, ground Sichuan pepper, and sesame oil
These crispy beef slivers are often eaten as a snack in Sichuan, China, similar to jerky. They are cooked by the “Zha Shou” method (炸收, literally translated as fry and take in), in which the meat is deep fried until crisp, then simmered in an aromatic liquid, which flavors and coats the meat as it reduces.
I tried two different dishes made by this method, Hot-and-Numbing Dried Beef, and Beef Slivers With Sesame Seeds. The recipes are from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Sichuan cookbook, Land of Plenty
I’m not posting the recipes this time because they’re both rather long and involved. It’s a bit tedious heating deep fry oil and then mixing and heating the simmering liquid and simmering for half an hour, all for just an appetizer. But the beef has a unique taste and crispiness, so it’s worth the effort if you want to look for the book at the library or on Amazon.
The beef for sesame beef fried until crisp
Simmering in stock flavored with soy sauce, rice wine, star anise, and cinnamon
Beef slivers with sesame seeds
Hot and numbing beef simmering in aromatic stock with ginger, scallion whites, soy sauce, and peanut oil.
Other Chinese recipes:
Savory Chinese Braised Pork Belly
Chinese Boiled Beef in Fiery Sichuan Broth
Sichuan Dry Fried Beef Slivers
