Hunan Beef With Cumin

I disagree. My wok is one of my most used pans. Just because you don't have the 20,000-30,000 btu flames of a chinese kitchen doesn't mean that a wok isn't a useful pan for stirfry. Furthermore, a cast iron is a terrible choice as a replacement. It's very heavy and takes a long time to heat and gives you very little heat control. A wok is much thinner, heats faster and gives you much better control over heat. A good carbon steel wok is the best tool for stir fry

This is a classic Chinese technique known as "shallow frying" and they do it with MANY of their stir fried meats as part of a two-step cooking process, to set the cornstarch "velvet" coatings, and to partially cook the meat before the final high heat stir fry. I find that I can get away with less oil, but you do want enough oil to submerge the meat. This method helps make the meat turn out tender.

Please, no pouring of oil right down the drain! It will harm the ocean environment (so I was taught. ) Pour out into a heat-resistant container, and once no longer super hot but still warm, strain into a lidded metal oil pot. Can be bought for 20 dollars. Reuse oil to deep-fry or stir-fry other meats, or for fried chicken. When it looks too dark or smells too used, use old cloth or newspaper to soak up and throw away.

Most Chinese dishes do not require a long marinade, and if they do you are using poor cuts of meat.
In most Chinese cuisine, allow each ingredient to maintain its identity, then allow the sauce or marinade to compliment (if that makes sense).
This recipe turned out flawless as written, and I have been cooking pan-Asian dishes for close to 4 decades.

A winner!

The rare combination of fast, easy, and super delicious. With 2 tsp of chili flakes (the lower end) the dish was very spicy in a wonderful way. The cumin flavor is strong but in no way overpowering.

We lost some of the beef coating to the stainless steel pan but that may be our fault. Did a white wine deglaze and captured the remnants for the sauce.

Served over jasmine rice.

I often add a little Pearl River Bridge Mushroom Soy (a dark soy) to beef stir fries if the meat would otherwise be too a pale color (not as visually appetizing). This particular soy will add a deep rich color to the meat. Visually, I can instantly identify Beef Chow Foon made with only light soy as opposed to the much better looking dish made with dark, or a blend of light/dark soy. It also makes a huge difference in the appearance of Stir Fried Beef with Green Bell Peppers.

Whatever I made from a recipe off the internet by boiling water, brown sugar and soy sauce as "dark soy" is absolutely fantastic drizzled over the finished dish.
It's like I've lacquered it. The sweet and the heat and the spice are great.

If you like your food extremely hot, then follow the recipe. I'd be careful with the dried chili flakes and Thai chilies together. That combination is way too hot for me.

The Japanese have light and dark soy sauce too. And the flavors are different. The Chinese light and dark soy sauces are very different from the Japanese. I would recommend using Chinese soy sauces for this recipe. I believe it does make a big different in the appearance and taste of the dish. I would recommend using both kinds if you possibly can.

Not true. I have a real-deal-carbon-steel wok, round bottom, bolted-on steel handle. I get it to sit snugly on my gas burner by simply flipping over the flame guard/thing you put the pot on on the range--try it! This both holds the wok snugly AND lets the flames go higher up the side of the wok.

Mine gets absolutely SCREAMING hot in under 2 minutes. As it's properly seasoned, it's also nonstick. I just clean it out with cheap cooking oil and paper towels after each use.

Do you really need almost 2 cups of peanut oil? this is almost a deep fry! I usually use a Tbsp or 2 of oil when I make a stir fry.

You must have strong arms. I have a 10" cast iron skillet; it's extremely heavy and it's hard to control the heat. If you have a restaurant supply store in your area, ask them about a French carbon steel skillet. These get very hot and season up with a few uses. I find mine to be indispensable. This is my 'wok'. It measures 11" but is available in many sizes. I cook on a smooth top electric range - no gas is my area.

I drastically reduced the oil, frying the beef in about 4 tablespoons, and it was just fine. I removed it while it was still a little rare and it finished cooking just enough in the last step. I also seared some broccoli florets in the wok beforehand, set them aside and tossed them in at the end, making this a complete meal.

This is a great question that alas won't be answered definitively here by me.

The following is what British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver offered in an online "Food & Drink" forum:

"Basically light soy is saltier and thinner while dark has a molasses flavor component and the ability to color dark sauces while using a small amount of soy.

Typically in my cooking, and that of many professional chefs, dark and light soy are mixed."

So maybe just do it?

This is incredibly good. I thought the large amount of cumin would overwhelm the dish, but it was a perfect, heady compliment to the beef. I drastically reduced the oil, frying the beef in about 4 tablespoons, and it was just fine. I removed it while it was still a little rare and it finished cooking just enough in the last step. I also seared some broccoli florets in the wok beforehand, set them aside and tossed them in at the end, making this a complete meal. Yum! Definitely will make again!