Easy Hunan Beef Stir-Fry Recipe

Try Hunan Beef Stir-Fry and turn your kitchen into a Chinese restaurant, enjoying the spicy and fresh vegetable delights.

What is Hunan Beef Stir-Fry?

Hunan Beef Stir-Fry is a highly representative beef dish in Hunan cuisine.

It is renowned for its spiciness, fragrance, and freshness, highlighting the unique wok hei achieved through high-heat stir-frying. The essence of this dish lies in using lard to stir-fry dried chili peppers and sliced garlic until they turn fragrant and slightly charred. This aroma deeply penetrates the beef, creating the distinctively rich and spicy flavor characteristic of Hunan cuisine.

For lovers of spicy food, Hunan cuisine is always one of the top choices. The ingredients for this dish are simple yet refined. Nevertheless, its rich flavor is simply irresistible and makes people's mouths water.

Ingredients Explanation and Substitutions

Beef: I prefer to use sirloin. Its texture is tender and easy to chew. When slicing, cut against the grain, and it will be particularly slippery and tender when stir-fried. If sirloin is not available, chicken breast can be used as a substitute, but the cooking heat should be gentler.

Green and red peppers: Green peppers are crispy, and red peppers are slightly sweet. When combined, they not only look appealing but also stimulate the appetite. If they are not available, colored peppers or pointed peppers can be used instead. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.

Sliced garlic: The garlic should be sliced freshly. Slowly sauté it over low heat until it turns golden, and then the full aroma will come out. If you're in a hurry, scallion whites can be used instead, but it will lack some of the garlic flavor.

Dried chili peppers: I like to use whole red chili peppers. After cutting them into sections, the spiciness is more intense. Friends who don't eat spicy food can use less, or simply replace them with Chinese prickly ash to enhance the fragrance.

Garlic sprouts: Sprinkle a handful of garlic sprout leaves at the end, and it will emit a fresh and fragrant smell. If not available, chives can be used as a substitute, or scallions are also okay. It's just that the flavor will be a bit stronger.

Lard: Stir-frying with self-made lard is particularly fragrant. If lard is not available, peanut oil can be used instead, but the flavor will be a bit lighter.

What part of beef should be used?

Sirloin or beef hind leg meat are the first choices: These two cuts are most commonly used for making Hunan-style stir-fried beef. The sirloin is tender and tendon-free, suitable for those who prefer a melt-in-the-mouth texture. The hind leg meat has some tendons, which gives it a chewier texture. However, be sure to cut it into thin slices against the grain, otherwise it will be prone to getting stuck in your teeth.

Tips for choosing beef: When choosing fresh beef, select the one with a bright red color that bounces back when pressed. Frozen beef tends to release water after thawing, and the stir-fried result won't be as fragrant. It's better to put the beef in the refrigerator for half an hour before cutting to make it easier to cut into even thin slices.

Alternative option: If the ideal cuts are not available, top round (rump meat) can also be used. This area has relatively thick muscle fibers. Before cutting, pound the meat with the back of a knife to loosen it, then marinate it with half a spoonful of baking soda for 10 minutes. The stir-fried result will be much more tender. But be careful not to use too much baking soda, otherwise the meat will have an alkaline taste.

Which type of pot should be used?

A seasoned iron wok is the most suitable for stir-frying this beef dish. It conducts heat quickly and evenly, allowing the beef to quickly seal in its juices and resulting in a particularly tender and smooth texture. The high-heat stir-frying in an iron wok can also bring out the aroma of the chili peppers and sliced garlic, giving the whole dish a stronger wok hei flavor.

If you don't have an iron wok at home, a thick-bottomed non-stick pan can be used as a substitute. However, be careful not to use too high a heat, as it may easily affect the non-stick coating. When using a non-stick pan, it is recommended to heat the pan first and then add the oil. This way, the stir-fried beef will also be tender enough.

Stainless steel pots are the least recommended. They not only tend to stick to the bottom but also make it difficult to control the heat, and the beef is prone to overcooking. If you only have a stainless steel pot, remember to heat the pot first and then add cool oil, and keep stir-frying quickly over high heat throughout the process.