Hot & Sour Beef

Serves 2 People

This is for people who like their Chinese food with a bit of bite.

This is not a genuine Chinese recipe, but something that I have created by experimenting, to recreate the taste of the real thing with commonly available ingredients.

  1. Thinly slice 2 large onions. Crush & thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic. Finely chop 1 small chili pepper. Place in a wok with 1 tablespoons of oil. Begin to fry on a high heat. Stir frequently.
  2. Slice 6 ounces of lean beef into thin strips (about 1 inch long by about ¼ inch thick). Wash and slice 2 medium sized mushrooms.
  3. After the onions & garlic have been cooking for about 2 minutes, add the beef & mushrooms to the wok.
  4. Sir frequently. Once the beef is seared, add about 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 2 heaped teaspoons of medium mustard (or 1 level teaspoon of English mustard), a level teaspoon of sambal oelek, a level teaspoon of brown sugar, and half a cup of wine vinegar.
  5. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add enough tomato purée to thicken the sauce to suit your taste.
  6. Taste the sauce, and if necessary add vinegar, mustard, or sambal to taste. If it is too spicy, add more sugar.
  7. Serve with rice.