Dish of Beef with Biter Melon
(click to enlarge)

Beef with Bitter Melon


China, Guangzhou (Canton)
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 w/rice
**
1-1/4 hr
Prep		 Beef Bitter Melon stir fry - great for folks who like Bitter Melon, but not so good for so-called "super tasters" who can't stand bitter.

11
14
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1/2
2
1/2
1/2
2
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4
2
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1-1/2
1
1
1/2
3
1/4
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1
1
oz
oz
---
T
t
T
T
T
---
cl
T
---
T
T
t
t
T
t
---
T
T
Bitter Melon (1)
Beef lean (2)
--- Marinade
Oyster Sauce (3)
Soy Sauce
Rice wine (4)
Cornstarch
Water
-------------
Garlic
Black Beans (5)  
-- Sauce
Rice Wine (4)
Soy Sauce
Soy Sauce, dark
Sesame Oil
Stock
Pepper
--------------
Oil
Oil (more)
Prep   -   (45 min - 35 min work)
  1. Slice BEEF across the grain into strips about 1/8 inch thick, 1/2 inch wide and 1-1/2 inches long. This is easier if you chill the beef in the freezer for about 30 minutes to stiffen it.
  2. Mix All Marinade Items and massage into the Beef. Set aside and marinate for at least 30 minutes turning once or twice.
  3. Cut BITTER MELON in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seed mass with a spoon. Slice Diagonally about 1/4 inch thick.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Rinse BLACK BEANS, crush well together with garlic.
RUN   -   (20 min)
  1. In a wok or spacious sauté pan, heat 1 T Oil very hot over high flame. at the first hint of smoke, stir in the Beef. Stir fry until all raw color is gone and any exuded liquid has evaporated. Remove the Beef and set aside.
  2. Add 1 T Oil to the wok. Over moderate flame, stir in Garlic mix and fry stirring until aromatic, about 1 minute. Turn the flame to high and stir in the Bitter Melon for about 1 minute.
  3. Stir the Beef back in, then the Sauce mix. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Scrape as much of the fond as has loosened into the sauce.
  4. Serve immediately with plenty of steamed long grain rice.
NOTES:

  1. Bitter Melon:

      Use the Chinese variety, the one with a smooth warty skin. For details see our Bitter Melon page.

  2. Beef:

      Weight is for boneless with all excess fat and membranes removed. Chuck or brisket work fine, but cooking time is very short, so avoid tough cuts like Round.

  3. Oyster Sauce:

      A standard Chinese sauce also used in Southeast Asia for dishes in the Chinese style. My current favorite is Megachef, but Lee Kum Kee Premium brand is also very good - the bottle looks very Chinese, but it's made in Los Angeles. Yes, these are more expensive than some, but there's reasons for that (much higher oyster content, unleaded and no melamine). For details see our Oyster Sauce page.
  4. Rice Wine:   Use a good, drinkable Chinese rice wine, not that horrid salted "cooking" version. If you don't have this, use a Dry Sherry. Sake is made from rice but is not considered a good substitute, it's beer, not wine. For details see our Chinese Rice Wine page.

  5. Black Beans:

      These are salted and fermented soy beans sold in bags and boxes in Asian markets. For details see our Black Bean page.

  6. Comments:

      The pattern recipe was by a family of Cantonese cooks. My instructions depart a bit from theirs, as our home stoves cannot achieve the intense heat needed for true Cantonese wok cooking. Part of their recipe was an operation to reduce the bitterness of the bitter melon. Why people who want to cook bitter melon keep trying to reduce its bitterness is beyond me. They're just not that bitter - I seed them, slice them up, salt them lightly and eat them raw as snacks. In any case, here's their method.
    Prepare a deep bowl of Ice Water. Bring plenty of Water to a rolling boil. Stir in 1 T Salt. Dump the Bitter Melon and blanch for 1 minute. Strain out and dump into the Ice Water.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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