Hunan Beef

Adapted from The Shun Lee Cookbook by Michael Tong.
Ingredients

1 pound beef
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice wine

2 cups vegetable oil, for passing through

For the sauce:
2 Tablespoons rice wine
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (distilled white, red wine, rice, or sherry)
1 tablespoon hot bean paste
pinch of ground white pepper

For the slurry:
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

A few 1-inch chunks of lamb fat
1 leek, white part only
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 scallions, trimmed and slice into 1 inch-long segments
Procedure

1. Cut the lamb across the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices, approximately 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. In a medium bowl, mix the lamb slices with the egg, cornstarch, and wine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime, prepare the leek: Trimming for only the white section, cut the leek into large segments. Wash well and dry.

3. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Have the slurry ready in another bowl.

4. Heat a large wok with the oil for passing through. When the oil reaches 325°F, add the lamb strips. The lamb does not need to be wiped clean of its marinade. Using your ladle, gently stir the lamb in the oil so the strips don’t stick together. Fry for approximately 20 seconds, until the lamb is very lightly browned, and remove the lamb from the oil with a slotted spoon. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok.

5. Toss the lamb fat and garlic into the wok. Stir-fry until the fat is rendered and the garlic is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the chunks of fat from the wok. Add the leek and green onion and stir-fry for about 20 seconds.

6. Add the lamb and the sauce mixture, and stir-fry for another 10 seconds to allow the meat to absorb some of the liquid.

7. Turn down the heat, or move the wok off the burner. Add the slurry and stir rapidly until the sauce thickens, about 20 seconds. Serve immediately with rice.

Credit: Seriously Asian: The Function of Cornstarch | Serious Eats : Recipes