Szechuan Beef

A fast, fiery Sichuan-style stir-fry of julienned flank steak with celery and scallions in a peppercorn-spiked sauce.

Ingredients

3 tbsp	45 ml	oyster sauce
1 tbsp	15 ml	chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp	15 ml	sugar
1 tsp	5 ml	sesame oil
1 tsp	5 ml	Szechuan peppercorn powder
1/2 tsp	2.5 ml	chili flakes
1/4 tsp	1.3 ml	salt
2 tbsp	30 ml	peanut or canola oil
450 g		flank steak, julienned against the grain into 3" (7.6-cm) strips
2 tsp	10 ml	minced ginger
2 cloves		garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp	10 ml	Shaoxing rice wine or sherry
3 ribs		celery ribs, julienned into 3" (7.6-cm) strips
2 pieces		scallions, cut into 2" (5-cm) lengths

For the sauce:

In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil, Szechuan peppercorn powder, chili flakes and salt. Reserve. For the Szechuan beef:
Heat your wok or large skillet to high and add the oil, distributing it evenly with a spatula.
When a wisp of white smoke appears, stir in the beef, ginger and garlic, and cook about 1 minute or until the beef is medium rare.
Add the rice wine or sherry and deglaze the pan. Let the alcohol burn off and absorb into the beef.
Fold in the sauce and stir well to coat the beef.
Add the celery and cook 20 to 30 seconds, or until just tender. Then add the scallions and cook an additional minute, or until heated through.