Chinese beef with carrots and celery

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 600 g rump steak(s)
• 150 g carrot(s), cut into sticks
• 150 g celery, cut into sticks
• 1 m.-large onion(s), cut into strips
• 1 single garlic, alternatively 4 – 6 cloves
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 12 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp dry sherry
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 15 grains of Szechuan pepper, crushed in a mortar
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• e.g. sesame oil for frying
• n. B. Salt
• n. B. cornstarch
• n. B. Caramel coloring

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 45 minutes

For the marinade, combine finely chopped garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, and about 50 ml of vegetable stock. Cut the beef into thin, approximately 5 cm long strips and add them to the bowl with the marinade. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. Add a little sesame oil to the hot wok and sear the meat, ideally in about three batches. So, fry about 200 g in the wok at a time, remove the meat and fry the next batch, and so on. Set the fried meat aside and briefly fry the carrots, celery, and onions; they should still have some bite. Now add the remaining stock, the remaining marinade, the Sichuan peppercorn, and the oyster sauce, and season with salt. Return the meat to the vegetables and, if desired, color the sauce with caramel coloring. Bring to a boil, and thicken the sauce to the desired consistency with starch dissolved in cold water. Serve with basmati rice.