Marbled Beef in Golden Soup

Jin Tang Feiniu (金汤肥牛)

Paper-thin beef slices are cooked in a golden hot and sour soup made from yellow lantern chili sauce and fresh tomatoes. Garnished with emerald green and ruby red chilies, this is a feast for a king.

My first time trying traditional Golden Soup Beef was as an appetizer at a dumpling restaurant in China. I was amazed by not only how good it was, but also that I had eaten a similar dish once before. I was puzzled because I couldn't remember ordering it from any Sichuan restaurant. One day when ordering delivery, I realized where I had tried this flavor before. KFC had, at that time, a dish known as Golden Soup Beef with Rice (金汤肥牛饭), which was my wife's go to order. Though similar, the classic version was clearly superior – sour, spicy, salty, and aromatic.

(This dish is also known as Beef in Sour Soup 酸汤肥牛, and the KFC version was called Golden Soup Beef with Rice 金汤肥牛饭. For the KFC version, simply prepare the recipe as follows, but while making the soup, steam Broccoli, Water Chestnuts, and slices of Carrot. Serve the steamed veggies over a large bowl of rice and top with a large spoonful of the Golden Soup Beef).

The key ingredient to the Golden Soup is a special sauce made from pickled yellow lantern chilies. This sauce is called Lantern Chili Sauce (灯笼椒酱) or Hainan Lantern Chili Sauce (海南灯笼椒酱) – though once I saw a jar labeled October Pepper Sauce. Regardless of name, the sauce will be a bright golden yellow with a sour, salty, and spicy flavor. It might be difficult to find at a grocery store, but if you happen to live in the US, the sauce is readily available online. Also important to the dish are Enoki Mushrooms (literally Golden Needle Mushrooms 金针菇 in Chinese) and Tomatoes. Tomatoes add a natural sour, umami flavor. But since they also slightly alter the color, some chefs substitute them with a splash of White Vinegar for a truly golden soup. However, the Tomato flavor is mild and adds a fresher, tangier element than the Vinegar.

The Beef used in this dish must be sliced extremely thin! This almost impossible to slice by hand and not worth the effort. Have a butcher slice the raw Beef into thin slices using a deli slicer – the thickness should be Arby's Roast Beef thin. In China, the paper-thin beef slices are readily available at every grocery store as this style of Beef is commonly used for hotpot. The Beef itself should have good marbling and no connective tissue. Fattier slices of Beef will be more tender but have a stronger meat odor; leaner slices of Beef will have less odor but will be slightly chewier.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

400 grams of Beef (Well-Marbled 肥牛; Sliced Paper-Thin)

1 large bunch of Enoki Mushrooms (about 300 to 400 grams)

1/3 cup dried Black Wood Ear Mushrooms

Soup Base
2 large cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger
6 - 10 Pickled Red Chilies
3 Tbsp. Pickled Yellow Lantern Chili Sauce (灯笼椒酱)
1 medium Tomato (Tomato can be substituted with White Vinegar for a Yellower Soup)

Garnishing Plate
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 fresh Red Chili
1/2 of long Green Chili (二荆条)
1 small bunch of Cilantro
1 large clove of Garlic
1/2 tsp. of Sesame Seeds

1 Tbsp. Salt

Peanut Oil

Sauces
1 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine

Directions

1.) Fill a large bowl with water and add the Beef slices. GENTLY wash the Beef Slices to remove most of the blood. Wring out the water and then set the Beef slices aside in a bowl while preparing the other ingredients.

(The Beef slices in China are often sold frozen, which are totally acceptable. If using frozen Beef slices simply allow them to thaw in a large bowl of water while preparing the other ingredients. Wring them out well before using them).

2.) Cut off the roots of the Enoki Mushrooms and tear them into bundles about the diameter of your smallest finger. Place the Mushrooms in a large bowl and cover them with water. Gently wash the Enoki, drain the water, and set them aside in their own bowl.

3.) Place the Wood Ear Mushrooms in a bowl of water, cover them with a damp paper towel, and allow them to soak while preparing the Soup Base.

4.) Prepare THREE empty bowls for the Soup Base ingredients:

• Bowl 1 – Aromatics: Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic and Ginger. Set these aside in the second bowl.
• Bowl 2 – Chilies: Cut the Pickled Red Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces and place them into the third bowl along with the Lantern Chili Sauce.
• Bowl 3 – Tomatoes: Thinly slice the Tomato, cut the slices into thin strips, and then cut across the strips to quickly dice the Tomato. Set aside the diced Tomato into one bowl.

5.) Prepare a Garnishing Plate, setting each ingredient in a separate pile on the plate:

• Thinly slice the Scallion.
• Thinly slice the Red Chili.
• Thinly slice the Green Chili.
• Roughly chop the Cilantro.
• Roughly mince the Garlic.
• Add the Sesame Seeds in small pile away from the other ingredients.

6.) Fill a large pot with about 3 liters of water, add the salt, and heat on high until boiling. Blanch the Enoki Mushrooms and Wood Ear Mushrooms for about 15 to 30 seconds. Remove the Mushrooms and place them in the bottom of a large serving bowl, claypot, or deep casserole dish. DO NOT drain the water in the pot.

7.) With the water is still boiling, add the slices of Beef and blanch them just a few seconds until slightly browned. Remove the Beef slices and set them aside in a clean bowl.

(DO NOT overcook the Beef! The purpose of this step is to purify the flavor of the meat and to prevent it from adding impurities to the soup. Skipping this step will result in a scummy soup).

8.) Add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil to a seasoned wok and heat on medium-high. When hot, remove the wok from heat and add the bowl of Aromatics, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant.

9.) Add the bowl of Chilies, return the wok to heat, and stir-fry everything quickly just until fragrant. Immediately, add the bowl of Tomatoes and stir-fry them until fully mixed.

10.) Add about 2 cups of Water, increase the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil. Skim away any Tomato scum that rises to the surface, and once the soup is clear, add the Sauces (Soy Sauce, Rice Wine, and Oyster Sauce).

11.) Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the Beef to the wok, cooking the slices gently for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. When finished, ladle the meat into the center of the serving dish on top of the Mushrooms and pour in the hot soup around the sides.

12.) Use the Garnishing Plate to decorate the Golden Soup Beef with the vibrant Chilies, Garlic, Scallion, Cilantro, and Sesame Seeds.

13.) Quickly heat about 1 cup of Peanut Oil in a small pot or clean wok. When the Oil is nearly smoking, ladle about half of this Oil over the Garnishes to make them sizzle and release their flavors. Serve the hot and sour Marbled Beef in Golden Soup immediately with individual bowls of white rice.

 

Contribute to Sichuan Soul

Sichuan Soul is funded in part thanks to generous contributions by fans like you! Your donations supply Sichuan Soul with the funding needed to provide quality recipes and photos. All donations are processed safely and securely through PayPal. You can donate any amount using the 'Donate' button below. Thank you for your support.

Privacy Policy