Spicy and Tingly Beef Recipe (2024)

I am intrigued by this recipe. However, I am in a European country where is it difficult to find a variety of Chinese ingredients. Would there be a substitute for these ingredients?_ teaspoons Pixian doubanjiang or spicy broad-bean paste_ tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wineAlso a substitute of another chile for the Sichuan chile?Thank you.

I would suggest skipping this recipe. If you can't find Sichuan chile, you will not be making anything close to the actual dish. Sichuan chile have a specific numbing, tingling effect and a particular taste. It's difficult to substitute for it.

If you're referring to the first boil (step 1), the purpose of that boil is not to pre-cook, but rather, to "clean off" the beef. The quick boil is intended to take off the gray scum etc. that comes off the protein as it cooks (3 minutes isn't going to draw out much flavor from a stewing meat anyway). It's a common step in various Asian recipes with extended boiling; I've seen it in Korean and Vietnamese stew/soup recipes too. We're all about the broth clarity.

Pixian doubanjiang (ingredients: chili, broad bean, salt and wheat flour) can be replaced with regular doubanjiang which is available in most Asian food stores in Europe. Shaoxing cooking wine is very close to sherry wine. The small red chili peppers in European supermarket should be fine. Or just regular chili flakes. The only thing that does not have a subtitute is Sichuan peppercorn because they are the numbing ones

I have fly by jing Mala spice blend. If I use this what ingredients does it replace in this recipe?

You can use 1 Tbsp of Fly By Jing for the Sichuan Chile Crisp in the recipe.

D- here's what I'd do with tofu.Heat oil over medium heat, add tofu & fry/toss until cripsy. Remove from pan. Add the onion, scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise and dried red chiles to pan & sauté for about 30 seconds. Reduce heat add Pixian sauce, letting it cook until the red oil rises. Add cooking wine, soy sauce and cubed tofu, stir. Add the tomato, Sichuan peppercorn powder and chile powder, and stir to combine. Turn off the heat, and cover for about 5 minutes so the flavors can meld.

While I am in Paris, which has oriental food shops so I seldom come across an ingredient I can't find, when I do, Amazon is my friend, often linking with specialty food sources so one can order online. Otherwise, do a Google search which can unearth online shops for exotic ingredients. Not Asian, but I love Sardinian Bitter Honey and can't find it in France. Online, I found a site that sells and ships Sardinian food products and now I have my honey (g).

I too have the Mala blend, and it's very different from their Chile Crisp. From the Fly by Jing Website: "Mala, the signature flavor of Sichuan cuisine means "spicy and numbing". With a mix of 11 potent herbs and spices, including Erjingtiao chili and the prized "Tribute" Sichuan pepper, this dry spice blend adds oomph to any spice rub..."I used the Fly by Jing Mala Spice blend as a sub 1:1 for the 1T Sichuan Peppercorn Powder and the 1t red chile powder. It was delish, even if not authentic

Wow. Way spicy and delicious. I cooked the stew 30extra minutes as my stew beef seemed a little tough after one hour. The result was a salty, spicy bit of heaven. Except for the extra cooking time, followed the recipe as written. For heat lovers, it’s a hit.

Made this exactly as written, including doubanjiang, Shaoxing, mala spice etc. and here’s what we all decided-it has great flavor overall, but the cut of beef was totally wrong, no matter how long it simmered. I might try strip steak or something more tender that can be shredded. Also, we served it with wide rice noodles that were way too unwieldy. Rice would have been better, especially to soak up the flavorful sauce.

I recommend you skip this recipe altogether.

Look at descriptions of this ingredient on the fabulous website: Woks of Life. https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-ingredients-glossary/

Unless it's being ground along with other spices for a rub, star anise not typically ground, precisely because it's so strong - you throw in the whole thing (or break but leave in big pieces, as specified in this recipe), then extract at the end, like you would with bay leaves.

Yes. I doubled everything in the ingredient list up to the tomatoes (not bc of the IP, but bc I wanted more), but kept the liquid (chicken broth) at 2 cups. For steps 2 & 3, I cooked on High Pressure for 25 minutes, then natural release. For step 4, I took off the lid and let it simmer on Saute High until the liquid reduced, then added 2 tomatoes + the last 3 ingredients individually by taste (because of all the complaints about those being out of whack). The meat turned out very tender.

Might want to hold back on the full amount of the Sichuan peppercorn powder at first. The recipe amount seemed excessive. My wife and I are accustomed to very spicy dishes, including Sichuan (and even in Chengdu), but this was so much as to be unpleasant, even borderline unpalatable. The full amount of freshly-ground Sichuan pepper was too much. We enjoy the Sichuan pepper tingling, but recommend adding it bit by bit and tasting as you go.

I love the heat and the flavor. Sechuan pepporcorns and so much complexity to all dishes. Next time I think I'll add a splash of stock with the liquid ingredients and keep it covered for longer than 30 minutes to get little more low and slow to break down the meat and build some umami.

I adapted for seitan (8 oz) and greens. It came out great but a bit too intense. Perhaps it missed the 2-cup water dilution, which I left out. Next time I would cut back on the Szechuan peppers (I hand-ground) or increase the protein and/or add water. Husband couldn’t finish it but I still loved it and will make again with adjustments!

Can use any other protein instead of beef. Make sauce first then add protein (also OK with seared mushrooms)

Really enjoyed this over pan-fried noodles; excited to riff on it with chicken, tofu, and fish. I would consider wilting some baby spinach or watercress at the end.If you're having trouble finding doubanjiang I think you could omit it or substitute a couple of teaspoons of anything fermented to get a bit of funk -- gochujang or miso or black bean paste would be heresies but probably delicious.

You can order Sichuan chiles and other items online; Google is your friend.

Sichuan peppercorns are also sold under the name prickly ash pepper. If you don't have the cooking wine, you can substitute dry sherry. The bean paste - you've got me there! no idea.

Substitutions (if online purchases not an option)Sichuan Peppercorns - agree no real substitute (they cause the numbing effect) but following Ken Hom I have used 50/50 of aniseed and black peppercorns.Shaoxing rice wine - dry sherry or cooking sherry.Sichuan chiles - try thin finger type hot chilis (in UK sometimes called Thai chiles).broad bean paste - I would try a thai chili paste plus salt to taste.The same recipe? No. Tastes good? Only one way to find out.

We loved this. I don't know if I had all the right kinds of peppers, but I had enough that it was really spicy in a delicious and exotic way. Yum.

I have xi an famous foods chili oil with spices. What would that replace in the recipe? I'd like to make it with mushrooms. Thanks

I made this, substituting extra dried chiles de arbol and guanjillo chile powder, in place of the Pixian doubanjiang and oil I could not find. Also had to skip the Shaoxing cooking wine. Maybe not authentic or numbing, but husband and I thought it was tasty and hot enough to suit us.

Anything this easy shouldn't be this delicious. It's perfect as written, though I find it better with white meat chicken. Top with some Laogamma spicy chili crisp.

Could a pressure cooker be used to tenderize the meat first and then add it in? Or is that grave apostasy and/or heresy? I often fond the beef in such dishes to remain stringy and too dense.

The Fly by Jing Mala spice would replace some or all of the dried red chiles and the star anise. It also has sichuan pepper in it, so maybe you'd want to back off a little from that too. The chili crisp is a completely different thing and Mala spice is not a suitable substitute for it.

the beef is so tough. Any suggestions? Lessen the boiling time or lengthen the simmering?