Hunan Beef With Cumin Recipe (2024)

I disagree. My wok is one of my most used pans. Just because you don't have the 20,000-30,000 btu flames of a chinese kitchen doesn't mean that a wok isn't a useful pan for stirfry. Furthermore, a cast iron is a terrible choice as a replacement. It's very heavy and takes a long time to heat and gives you very little heat control. A wok is much thinner, heats faster and gives you much better control over heat. A good carbon steel wok is the best tool for stir fry

This is a classic Chinese technique known as "shallow frying" and they do it with MANY of their stir fried meats as part of a two-step cooking process, to set the cornstarch "velvet" coatings, and to partially cook the meat before the final high heat stir fry. I find that I can get away with less oil, but you do want enough oil to submerge the meat. This method helps make the meat turn out tender.

Please, no pouring of oil right down the drain! It will harm the ocean environment (so I was taught. ) Pour out into a heat-resistant container, and once no longer super hot but still warm, strain into a lidded metal oil pot. Can be bought for 20 dollars. Reuse oil to deep-fry or stir-fry other meats, or for fried chicken. When it looks too dark or smells too used, use old cloth or newspaper to soak up and throw away.

Most Chinese dishes do not require a long marinade, and if they do you are using poor cuts of meat.
In most Chinese cuisine, allow each ingredient to maintain its identity, then allow the sauce or marinade to compliment (if that makes sense).
This recipe turned out flawless as written, and I have been cooking pan-Asian dishes for close to 4 decades.

I often add a little Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Soy (a dark soy) to beef stir fries if the meat would otherwise be too a pale color (not as visually appetizing). This particular soy will add a deep rich color to the meat. Visually, I can instantly identify Beef Chow Foon made with only light soy as opposed to the much better looking dish made with dark, or a blend of light/dark soy. It also makes a huge difference in the appearance of Stir Fried Beef with Green Bell Peppers.

Whatever I made from a recipe off the internet by boiling water, brown sugar and soy sauce as "dark soy" is absolutely fantastic drizzled over the finished dish.
It's like I've lacquered it. The sweet and the heat and the spice are great.

If you like your food extremely hot, then follow the recipe. I'd be careful with the dried chili flakes and Thai chilies together. That combination is way too hot for me.

The Japanese have light and dark soy sauce too. And the flavors are different. The Chinese light and dark soy sauces are very different from the Japanese. I would recommend using Chinese soy sauces for this recipe. I believe it does make a big different in the appearance and taste of the dish. I would recommend using both kinds if you possibly can.

You must have strong arms. I have a 10" cast iron skillet; it's extremely heavy and it's hard to control the heat. If you have a restaurant supply store in your area, ask them about a French carbon steel skillet. These get very hot and season up with a few uses. I find mine to be indispensable. This is my 'wok'. It measures 11" but is available in many sizes. I cook on a smooth top electric range - no gas is my area.

Do you really need almost 2 cups of peanut oil? this is almost a deep fry! I usually use a Tbsp or 2 of oil when I make a stir fry.

I drastically reduced the oil, frying the beef in about 4 tablespoons, and it was just fine. I removed it while it was still a little rare and it finished cooking just enough in the last step. I also seared some broccoli florets in the wok beforehand, set them aside and tossed them in at the end, making this a complete meal.

This is incredibly good. I thought the large amount of cumin would overwhelm the dish, but it was a perfect, heady compliment to the beef. I drastically reduced the oil, frying the beef in about 4 tablespoons, and it was just fine. I removed it while it was still a little rare and it finished cooking just enough in the last step. I also seared some broccoli florets in the wok beforehand, set them aside and tossed them in at the end, making this a complete meal. Yum! Definitely will make again!

So good! I used thinly sliced flank and for the heat I took dried arbol peppers and chilli flakes. Added some baking powder to the marinade to slightly tenderize the meat. The cumin addition is awesome!! Great and super fast weekday dinner!

Added peppers, pea pods and peas. Used double ground cumin plus a teaspoon of cumin seed. Excellent.

Delicious. I added broccoli, carrots, and tiny baby book chop to make a one dish meal. (Sacrilege, I know, but it was good.). Stir fried each separately with a little salt. I added the marinade and some oyster sauce to increase the liquid and coat everything. Increased garlic/ginger/chilies to match the volume.

Did again for Roz and Pat and us, to celebrate Chinese New Year 2022

Did double quantity for me Rebecca and Pat and Roz for Chinese New Year 2022. Delicious with white rice..

Added broccoli on top of double meat…

Not sure Id follow the recipe again, I cook a lot of asian food and this wasn’t a great recipe. Carbon steel wok, high heat, and it was still super oily. I knew 3 tbsp of oil at the end would be gross and followed along, could be good cooked properly, and the cumin was interesting.

Perfect as written, except we used a lot less oil, approximately 1/3 c. and poured some off. De arbol chili flakes, and long cayennes as well. Spicy and warm, esp. with the cumin.

Perfect as written, except lots of oil. We used approximately 1/3 c. Used long cayenne fresh from the garden, and de arbol chili flakes…

Not sure what happened but was disappointed in this, compared to most who loved it. And I've cooked lots of Asian... Came our rather dry and with residual taste of velveting/marinade although again, I always velvet meats when cooking Chinese dishes.Did double the recipe. May have crowded the pan. Cumin added an interesting twist so I may try again, without doubling!

Delicious. Great carbon steel wok recipe. I marinated the meat for one hour ahead of time. The beef was amazing. Then I tossed with wok charred bok choy and softened rice noodles all together to finish.

Made a few subs..,only had ‘regular’ soy sauce and vegetable oil, used far less ginger to suit my tastes, totally forgot the sesame oil and added snap peas and broccolini at the end. Also followed advice on deglazing the pan with the wine to make more of a sauce. Absolutely delicious with the cumin—my husband ate so much of it we had no leftovers.

Underwhelming, although my teenagers LOVED it.

Very disappointed in this dish. I cook a lot of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese that have far more complexity of flavor and umami. This was a dud IMO. The ginger and garlic did not come forward, the cumin did nothing for me and I love cumin in other dishes. Ditching from my recipe box.

Can I make this recipe with vegetable oil and to skip the sesame oil part?