Description
This Peking-style beef recipe is a quick and flavorful dish featuring minced beef cooked with a savory sauce made from hoisin, soy sauces, rice wine vinegar, and aromatic spices. Served over steamed jasmine rice and garnished with fresh cucumber ribbons, spring onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, it offers a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and umami flavors with a hint of crisp freshness.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice (optional)
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light olive oil (or any neutral oil of choice)
- 500 g (1 lb) regular minced (ground) beef (not extra-lean)
- 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water
To Serve
- Steamed jasmine rice
- 2 cucumbers, peeled into ribbons
- 2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a jug or small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, all-purpose soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and Chinese five-spice if using. Set the sauce mixture aside.
- Cook the beef: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over high heat. Add the minced beef and break it up so it covers more surface area of the pan. Let it cook untouched for 5–6 minutes to brown and develop crispy edges. Then flip it, breaking it further apart with a spatula, and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Add garlic and ginger: Stir in the freshly minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for about 30 seconds to release their aroma.
- Add the sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes so the beef gets evenly coated and absorbs the flavors.
- Thicken the sauce: Stir in the cornflour mixed with water. Continue cooking for 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens and clings nicely to the beef.
- Serve: Spoon the Peking-style beef over steamed jasmine rice. Top with cucumber ribbons, sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and drizzle with sesame oil for added flavor and texture.
Notes
- For extra-crisp cucumber ribbons, peel the cucumber using a vegetable peeler and place the ribbons in ice water for 10 minutes before serving.
- You can substitute light olive oil with any neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil.
- The Chinese five-spice is optional but adds an authentic depth of flavor.
