This Chinese Beef Stir-Fry with You Tiao (a type of Chinese fried dough and a favorite breakfast/brunch treat) is a very, very, very Chinese dish!
I am almost positive that most of you reading have never encountered this dish on any menu or tried it before. We had never even heard of this dish before walking into a random Zhejiang-style restaurant in Beijing.
A Zhejiang Specialty
If you’re asking yourself what’s so special about Zhejiang cuisine, this province houses cities like Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing. If Shaoxing is ringing a bell, it is indeed the original home of Shaoxing wine. Hangzhou, which is only an hour from Shanghai, is famous for its silk, tea, and Dong Po Rou Braised Pork Belly, one of our favorite pork dishes.
If you ask me about some other Zhejiang dishes, I couldn’t really tell you, because I don’t even remember what else we ordered that night. This Chinese Beef Stir-Fry with You Tiao was that good, it pushed all the other food we ate that night to the periphery!
And it’s unsurprising, given the fact that we’ve only ever eaten you tiao in some form of Chinese breakfast, let alone stir-fried to chewy perfection with big chunks of tender beef and a rich, subtly sweet sauce.
Needless to say, it left an impression, and I still have yet to see this Chinese Beef Stir-Fry with You Tiao on any other restaurant’s menu! So take our insider’s word for it and make this at home, because, odds are you won’t find it anywhere here in the US!
Beef with Youtiao: Recipe Instructions
In a bowl, combine the beef, with 1 teaspoon cornstarch, a pinch of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons oil. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until the beef comes up to room temperature. For more information on preparing beef, see Bill’s post on How to Slice and Velvet Beef for stir fries.
Cut your you tiao (Chinese fried dough) into 2-inch pieces and place them on a sheet pan. Heat in an oven at 300 degrees F for 8 minutes, or until they are slightly crispy.
Heat your wok over high heat until just smoking, and spread 1 tablespoon of oil around the wok. Add the beef and sear for 2 to 3 minutes just until browned. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Over medium low heat, add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, along with the sugar.
Once the sugar has melted into the oil, add in the shallots.
After 2 to 3 minutes, add the chicken stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and black vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer, and then add the beef and any juices from the bowl.
While the beef and sauce are simmering, slowly stir in the cornstarch and water mixture until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
Toss in the toasted fried dough and mix for 20 seconds, or until everything is coated in sauce.
Transfer to a plate, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.
Serve this beef stir-fry with youtiao with steamed white rice.
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Recipe
Chinese Beef Stir-Fry with YouTiao (Chinese Fried Dough)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces flank steak (340g, sliced into 2-inch long pieces)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (plus 2 tablespoons)
- 2 pieces Chinese fried dough (you tiao)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot or red onion
- ½ cup beef stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Zhenjiang black vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the beef, with 1 teaspoon cornstarch, a pinch of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons oil. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until the beef comes up to room temperature.
- Cut your Chinese fried dough (you tiao) into 2-inch pieces and place them on a sheet pan. Heat in an oven at 300 degrees F for 8 minutes, or until they are slightly crispy.
- Heat your wok over high heat until just smoking, and spread 1 tablespoon of oil around the wok. Add the beef and sear for 2 to 3 minutes just until browned. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Over medium low heat, add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, along with the sugar. Once the sugar has melted, add in the shallots. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the stock, soy sauces, and vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer, and then add the beef and any juices from the bowl.
- While the beef and sauce are simmering, slowly stir in the cornstarch and water mixture until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Toss in the toasted fried dough and mix for 20 seconds, or until everything is coated in sauce. Transfer to a plate, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with steamed white rice.
Nutrition Facts
