This Ground Kung Pao Beef is a quick 15 minute dinner thats loaded with flavor
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 1/4 cup diced green onions (white parts only)
- 1/2 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1/2 cup less sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dry sherry (or white wine)
- 2 tsp light sesame oil
- Carbohydrate 4.37819958757375 g
- Cholesterol 73.708760125 mg
- Fat 13.9607331049126 g
- Fiber 0.869118188385409 g
- Protein 23.1547232344847 g
- Saturated Fat 4.98733595982444 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (156g)
- Sodium 1821.22616565611 mg
- Sugar 3.50908139918834 g
- Trans Fat 1.59706178580847 g
- Calories 240 calories
Step-by-step
- Add the ground beef, bell pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and chili flakes in a skillet and cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat and return skillet to stove top.
- Meanwhile whisk together the soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil and sugar in a small dish and pour into ground beef mixture over medium high heat. Combine the cornstarch and water in the small dish and whisk until smooth. Pour into the ground beef mixture and cook until sauce thickens.
- Stir in the peanuts and garnish with diced green onions if desired. Serve over hot white rice and enjoy!
Starch thickening power does not scale in a direct linear fashion when multiplying pan sauces. Doubling a recipe requires careful adjustment of both the cornstarch slurry and the liquid volume to prevent a heavy, pasty texture or a watery finish. When scaling this dish up for larger batches, reduce the total liquid by roughly ten percent, because wide skillets evaporate moisture more slowly than deep saucepots.
Adjusting Batches Without Losing Gloss
Ground beef releases considerable moisture as it browns, which influences the final salt concentration of the soy sauce and sherry base. Brown the meat over medium-high heat until the pan liquid completely evaporates before introducing the liquid aromatics. This concentration step ensures the sauce grips the protein rather than pooling at the bottom of the serving dish. Leftovers maintain their structural integrity for up to three days in a sealed container, though the peanuts will soften after twenty-four hours.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in one tablespoon of warm water at a time until the glaze flows freely.
- Store extra portions without the green onion garnish to prevent wilting during refrigeration.
- Drain excess beef fat thoroughly before adding the liquids so the sesame oil emulsion remains bright.
