Description
This Peking-style beef recipe delivers a rich, savory dish with a flavorful sauce made from hoisin and soy sauces, perfectly browned minced beef, and fragrant ginger and garlic. Served over steamed jasmine rice and topped with crisp cucumber ribbons, spring onions, and toasted sesame seeds, it offers a delightful balance of textures and classic Chinese-inspired flavors that come together in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 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)
Beef Mixture
- 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 (for extra-crisp cucumbers, see note 1)
- 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 optional Chinese five-spice. Stir well and set aside.
- Cook the beef: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over high heat. Add the minced beef, spreading it out to cover the surface area, and cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes to brown and develop crispy edges. Then flip and break it apart further with a spatula, cooking for an additional 1–2 minutes until fully cooked through.
- Add the garlic and ginger: Stir in the freshly minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the browned beef and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, allowing the beef to absorb the flavors and the sauce to coat the meat.
- Thicken the sauce: Stir in the cornflour and water mixture, cooking for another 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens and clings nicely to the beef.
- Serve: Spoon the Peking-style beef over steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with cucumber ribbons, thinly sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of sesame oil for added aroma and crunch.
Notes
- For extra-crisp cucumbers, peel them into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler and soak briefly in ice water before serving.
- You can substitute light olive oil with any neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil.
- Adjust the amount of brown sugar based on your preference for sweetness in the sauce.
- If Chinese five-spice is unavailable, you may omit it without significantly altering the dish’s flavor.
