Mongolian beef

Slice the beef 5 mm thick; thinner dries out in the frying.

Season with light beer (in place of Chinese cooking wine), salt and black pepper; a quarter teaspoon of baking soda only for a tough, cheap cut. Rest 30 minutes.

Mix in cornstarch to distribute, then one and a half egg whites; once coated, keep massaging 5 more minutes to tenderize.

Heat 2 cups of frying oil to 370F.

Lower the beef close to the oil and drop it in piece by piece, in batches; fry 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden at the edges.

Drain the excess oil in a sieve; the inside should still be soft.

variation: instead of frying, blanch the coated meat in boiling water about a minute and shake off the water.

Mix the sauce: 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2/3 cup water and 1 tsp dark soy sauce; set aside.

Heat the pan with about 1.5 tbsp oil, add 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1.5 tbsp minced garlic and the white part of the spring onion; stir until fragrant.

Pour in the sauce and stir until it thickens; return the beef and mix until coated in the shiny sauce.

Add the green spring onion, toss, and serve with white rice.