Recipe: Stir-fried mala beef with chef Hwang Jin-seon from Netflix’s ‘Culinary Class Wars’

There’s a stereotype that Chinese cuisine is difficult to cook at home. Chef Hwang Jin-seon — who recently appeared on Netflix’s cooking survival show “Culinary Class Wars” — attempts to tackle this misconception with this stir-fried mala beef.

Stir-fried mala beef [JOONGANG ILBO]

There’s a stereotype that Chinese cuisine is difficult to cook at home, especially when watching chefs skillfully maneuvering a wok over high flames with ease.

However, chef Hwang Jin-seon — who recently appeared on Netflix’s cooking survival show “Culinary Class Wars” as one of the White Spoon chefs and runs his own Chinese restaurant, Jin Jin, in the Mapo District of western Seoul — attempts to tackle this misconception with this stir-fried mala beef.

"Chinese dishes aren’t always cooked over intense heat," said chef Hwang. "Fried Chinese dishes, in particular, are easy to make at home, even without advanced cooking skills, and they make a great main course when hosting guests because it’s easy to adapt the recipe to other dishes once you understand the basics."

“When seasoning the beef, it may seem overly wet at first when all the seasoning ingredients are added. Make sure to mix the seasoning ingredients with the meat so that they smear into the meat thoroughly. While frying the beef, use chopsticks or a spatula to cook it slowly over a low heat. The slower it cooks, the more tender the meat will be."

Chef Hwang Jin-seon prepares to cook stir-fried mala beef. [MODESTFILM]

━ Hwang Jin-seon’s stir-fried mala beef recipe

Ingredients (for two people) 200 grams of beef tenderloin — 1/2 green bell pepper — 1/2 red bell pepper — 1 piece of bamboo shoot (5x6 cm) — 3 grams of Vietnamese chili pepper — 20 grams of green onion — 10 grams of garlic — 5 grams of ginger — 1 egg — 2 teaspoon of soy sauce — 1 teaspoon of Laochou — 1.5 teaspoon of Aji-no-moto — 200 grams of starch powder — 1 tablespoon of Doubanjang — 3 tablespoon of red chili oil — 1 teaspoon of sugar — 2 teaspoon of sesame oil — 3 tablespoon of mara oil — 100 milliliters of water and 200 milliliters of soybean oil.

Instructions 1. Slice the beef tenderloin into thick, long strips. 2. Prepare the marinade by mixing the egg, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of Aji-no-moto and Laochou. Add the beef and mix well, ensuring no excess ingredients remain. 3. Slice the green onion lengthwise into half and cut the garlic into small pieces. Finely chop the ginger. 4. Cut the green and red bell peppers into long strips, removing the white core. Slice the bamboo shoot into similar-sized pieces. 5. Add starch to the marinated beef and mix well by hand. 6. Sear the beef over high heat until browned on the outside, then reduce the heat and cook the meat slowly on low heat. 7. In another pan, heat the chili oil over low heat. Add the Vietnamese chili and Doubanjiang and stir-fry. Then add green onions, garlic and ginger and stir for flavor. 8. Add the bell peppers and bamboo shoots to the pan and stir-fry. Then add sugar and Aji-no-moto and continue stir-frying little more. 9. Pour in water and cook for a little while, then add a starch slurry to adjust the consistency. 10. Finally, add the cooked beef, mala oil and sesame oil. Stir well to combine and serve.

Beef is cooked slowly on low heat. [MODESTFILM]

Pro tips

To make stir-fried mala beef, start by slicing the tenderloin thick and marinating it. Sear only the outer part of the beef on high heat to brown it, then cook it slowly on low heat to maximize the tenderness of the beef.

Use Doubanjiang, a spicy and savory Chinese bean paste, to create a rich sauce, and add Vietnamese chili peppers and mala oil to introduce just enough of mala’s signature numbing spice to be enjoyable, even for beginners. The beef helps balance the typical greasiness of stir-fried dishes.

“Stir-fried dishes typically use beef tenderloin for its low fat content,” said Hwang. He especially recommends beef tenderloin because its savory flavor and tenderness pair well with Chinese dishes, which are typically deep-fried or stir-fried.

“The beef itself only produces a small amount of oil, which allows the sauce to penetrate well, bringing out the flavor well.”

A key challenge to the dish is working with starch. “The dish is ready to be served when you stir-fry the beef and vegetables, which have been fried separately, together. But adjusting the starch's thickness at the end can be tricky. Even experienced chefs can struggle with this, as the perfect consistency varies depending on the ingredients and cooking conditions. Pay close attention and adjust the thickness spoon by spoon."

Despite the perceived complexity, Hwang encourages home cooks to try making stir-fried mala beef, reassuring them that even a rushed attempt will taste good, though Chinese food may seem daunting to prepare at home.

“It’s really delicious so try making it at home,” said chef Hwang.

BY HWANG JEONG-OK, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]