Orange Beef

Crispy, battered slices of beef tossed in a sticky, citrusy sauce with charred orange zest and dried red chiles. This is the Chinese restaurant classic done right in your own wok, and it’s on the table in 30 minutes.

The batter is light and airy: sherry, cornstarch, and whisked egg whites coat the beef in a foamy shell that fries up shatteringly crisp. The sherry adds flavor while the egg whites create that delicate, lacy crunch you get at good Chinese restaurants.

The sauce magic happens when the orange rind hits the hot oil. Stir-fry it with the broken dried chiles until the rind starts to darken and the kitchen fills with that incredible toasty citrus aroma. That’s when the essential oils release and infuse the oil with concentrated orange flavor. This step takes the sauce from “orange-flavored” to genuinely orangey.

Toss the fried beef back into the bubbling sauce just long enough to coat every piece. Serve immediately over steamed white rice. The crispy coating softens quickly, so speed matters.

Chef Tips

• Slice the beef against the grain as thin as possible. Partially freezing the steak for 30 minutes makes thin slicing much easier.
• Get the peanut oil smoking hot before adding the beef. The pieces should sizzle and crisp immediately.
• Fry in small batches. Crowding the wok drops the temperature and steams the beef instead of frying it.
• Veal stock instead of beef stock gives a more refined, less heavy sauce if you have it.

Variations

• Orange chicken: Swap sliced beef for cubed boneless chicken thighs. Same batter, same technique.
• Szechuan orange beef: Add 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns to the sauce for a numbing, tingly heat.
• Honey orange glaze: Replace the sugar with 2 tablespoons honey for a thicker, glossier sauce.