Crispy Shredded Beef

This recipe is from the 'Big Night In' Meal Pack. Complete your fakeaway experience with 2 other recipes that use up the rest of your fresh ingredients - K. F. Cod with Sweet Potato Home Fries and Midweek Margherita with a Caprese Salad. Get the Meal Pack now on the app!

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 2 large carrot(s)
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 beef frying steak(s)
• 7 tbsp plain flour
• 200 ml vegetable oil
• 150 g basmati rice
• 15 g fresh coriander
• 5 tbsp light soy sauce

Method

1. Pickle your carrot

Fill a small saucepan with water, season generously with salt and place over a high heat - this will be for your rice later.

Peel and coarsely grate 2 carrots into a mixing bowl, then pour over 3 tbsp of vinegar, 1 tbsp of the honey and 1 tbsp of the sesame oil.

Give everything a good mix, then season to taste with salt and set aside for later.

2. Prep and coat your beef

Slice 2 steaks into very thin strips - it helps if they are fridge-cold for this as they will be firmer. Dust them in 4 tbsp of the flour on the board.

Chuck the remaining 3 tbsp of flour into a mixing bowl and add around 25-30ml (0.7-1floz) of water to make a batter with the consistency of thick double cream. Season generously with salt.

Chuck the beef into the bowl with the batter and give everything a good mix to coat fully. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Pour 200ml (6.8floz) of oil into a large frying pan and place it over a medium heat. While you wait for the oil to come up to temperature, you can get on with cooking your rice.

3. Get the rice on

Once the water on the stove has come up to a boil, tip in 150g (5.3oz) of rice.

Boil for 6-8 minutes, until the grains are soft with a slight bite. Once cooked, drain through a sieve over the sink, then return to the pan, cover with a lid and set aside for serving later. Next up, fry your beef while you wait.

4. Fry your beef

Drop a small amount of batter into the oil - if the oil is hot enough it should sizzle immediately. You are ready to fry!

Carefully lower in the battered beef one piece at a time so they don't stick together. Fry for 10-12 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the beef from the pan to your lined plate. Line a plate with kitchen towel, then get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.

5. Glaze

Tip the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil and 1 tbsp of honey into a medium saucepan along with 5 tbsp of light soy sauce.

Place the pan over a high heat and boil for 2-3 minutes, until reduced by half. While you wait, wash up your slotted spoon and grater from earlier.

Chuck the crispy beef into the pan with the soy glaze and give everything a good mix - you are ready to serve!

6. Serve

Fold ¾ of the coriander through the rice, then divide it between your serving plates. Spoon on the beef and pile a neat mound of pickled carrot salad to the side. Scatter over the remaining coriander and serve!

Don't forget to take your oil off the heat once you're done with it - leave it to cool to room temperature before discarding or storing for re-use. For a small amount of oil, you can freeze it and put it in general waste. You could also collect it and take it to a recycling plant, just make sure to never pour it down the sink.

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