Okay, so yesterday I decided to tackle making mala beef for the first time. I’ve always loved the dish, but I’ve been kinda intimidated to try it myself. I figured, what the heck, let’s do it!
First, I gathered all my ingredients. This took a bit of running around, I had to hit up a couple of different stores to find everything. You know, the usual suspects: beef (I used flank steak), chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, cooking wine… the list goes on. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything crucial. I even found a nice piece of beef, better than the usual one.
Next up, I prepped everything. I sliced the beef against the grain into thin strips – that’s key for tenderness, I’ve learned. Then, I chopped up the ginger and garlic, and I measured out all the spices. It was a bit of a production line on my countertop, hah!
The Marinade
- I whisked together the soy sauce, cooking wine, a little bit of sugar, and some cornstarch in a bowl.
- Then, I dumped in the beef and massaged it all together. Gotta make sure every piece gets coated!
- I covered the bowl and stuck it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Time for a quick break!
After that, it was showtime. I heated up some oil in my wok until it was smoking hot. I tossed in the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fried them for just a few seconds – you don’t want to burn them, just get them fragrant.
Then, I added the beef and spread it out in a single layer. The sizzle was amazing! I let it sear for a minute or two before stir-frying it until it was cooked through. Then add the prepared sauce before.
Finally, I tossed in some chopped green onions for a bit of freshness and color. And that was it! I served it over some steamed rice.
Honestly, it turned out way better than I expected! It was spicy, numbing, and super flavorful. My family ate all beef, only left rice for me! My family loved it, and I was pretty proud of myself. Definitely adding this one to my regular rotation!
