Lo Bok With Sichuan Peppercorns And Fresh Red Chiles Recipes

SZECHUAN BEEF WITH GREEN BEANS AND RED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Sprinkle cornstarch, salt, and pepper over flank steak. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak in the hot oil until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steak from skillet using a slotted spoon.
• Add onion and garlic to the same skillet. Cook until onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes. Add ginger; cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and hoisin sauce. Cook until sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes more. Reduce heat; add green beans and bell pepper.
• Add steak back to the skillet; toss in the sauce until well coated. Add red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook and stir until stir-fry is heated through, about 5 minutes more.

LO BOK WITH SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS AND FRESH RED CHILES

Steps:

• Cut radish and carrots into fine julienne with mandoline, then toss with 2 tablespoons kosher salt in a bowl and let stand 1 hour. Drain in a colander, then squeeze handfuls in a kitchen towel to remove moisture and transfer to a bowl.
• While vegetables are standing, heat vinegars, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a small nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
• Meanwhile, heat peanut oil in a small heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns, stirring, until chiles are blackened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ginger and fresh chiles, then stir into vinegar mixture. Cool sauce.
• Pour sauce through a fine sieve into bowl with radish and carrots. Add scallion, cilantro, and sesame oil and marinate, tossing occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Available at Asian markets and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

LAMB WITH SICHUAN PEPPER AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a wok and fry the orange peel in it until lightly browned. Remove both oil and peel and set aside. When the peel is cool enough to handle, cut it into fine julienne strips. Reserve the oil.
• Seed the chili peppers and cut them into julienne strips. Add to the orange shreds and set aside.
• Put the peppercorns in a dry skillet, toast them over moderate heat until they begin to smoke, then remove and crush fine in a mortar.
• Cut the lamb across the grain into fairly uniform slices ( 3/8 inches thick and 1 to 1 1/2 inches long). Put them in a bowl and mix thoroughly with the crushed pepper.
• Heat the wok in which the peel was fried until very hot, spread out the lamb slices in a single layer and fry them for 1 minute without moving them. Then stir-fry vigorously for 10 to 20 seconds and remove quickly to a serving dish. (They will still be raw in the center at this point.)
• In the wok, heat the reserved orange oil until hot again, add salt to taste and stir-fry the onion rings until nicely browned. Add the orange peel, the red-pepper shreds and the lamb, stir-fry for 5 to 10 seconds and dish up. Serve over noodles dressed with a little sesame oil and soy sauce.