Mix remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce, sherry, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock. Set aside.
Chop onion bottoms (if you have whole green onions, you can make Mongolian Beef the day before/after, and use the tops) into short segments (1/2" at the head, where they are light green, 1/4" or less at the base, where they are white - for best results, keep bases and heads separate). Chop ginger into thin slivers (about 1 mm square, and 1/2" long).
Heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil in wok at 375 degrees. When hot, add peanuts: stir for 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes, stir 10 seconds.
Add remaining oil and chicken mix, stir for 1 minute. (If you like, you can wash out the bowl that contained the chicken mix with about 2 Tbsp of water, and add this around the edges of the material in the wok. It will evaporate away, and I think it helps steam the chicken, making it more tender.)
Add ginger, stir for 1 minute. Add onion bases, stir 30 seconds. Add onion heads (if kept separate), stir for 30 seconds. Add sherry mix, stir 1 minute, or until sauce thickens. (If you like, you can wash out the bowl that contained the sherry mix with 1-2 Tbsp of water, and add this to the mix.)
Serve immediately.
I use a West Bend electric wok, which has good temperature control, and the times are all based on that. A classical wok could be used, but you may need to adjust the times.
Keep stirring the mixture as constantly as you can - the more it's stirred, the better it will be.
If you have problems getting the sauce to an optimal consistency, mix another Tbsp of corn starch in 2 Tbsp cold water (stir till smooth consistency) before starting; at the end, use as needed to thicken mixture.
You can replace the red pepper flakes with about 3 times the equivalent [since i) you won't eat them, and ii) when they are whole you don't get as much of the pepper acids out of them when they cook] in whole peppers.
This recipe can be safely approximately doubled by doubling materials, and extending the main cooking stage by a minute or so, but to do more than that, you have to do it in batches, otherwise with too much stuff in the wok the food will not cook at the right rate.
Mix remaining 1 Tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil, corn starch. Set aside.
Chop onion tops (if you have whole green onions, you can make Kung Pao Chi Ding the day before/after, and use the bottoms there) into short segments (1/2"-3/4" long for the leaf part, where they are dark green, 1/4" or less at the base, where they are light greeen - for best results, keep tops and bottoms separate).
Heat last 1 Tbsp peanut oil in wok at 400 degrees. When hot, add garlic: stir for 10 second.
Add remaining oil and beef mix, stir for 2 minutes.
Add onion bases (if kept separate), stir 30 seconds. Add onion tops, stir for 30 seconds. Add soy/corn-starch mix, stir 1 minute, or until sauce thickens. (If you like, you can wash out the bowl that contained the soy/corn-starch mix with 1-2 Tbsp of water, and add this to the mix.)
Serve immediately.
Keep stirring the mixture as constantly as you can - the more it's stirred, the better it will be.
If you have problems getting the sauce to an optimal consistency, mix another Tbsp of corn starch in 2 Tbsp cold water (stir till smooth consistency) before starting; at the end, use as needed to thicken mixture.
You can replace the red pepper flakes with about 3 times the equivalent [since i) you won't eat them, and ii) when they are whole you don't get as much of the pepper acids out of them when they cook] in whole peppers.
This recipe can be safely approximately doubled by doubling materials, and extending the main cooking stage by a minute or so, but to do more than that, you have to do it in batches, otherwise with too much stuff in the wok the food will not cook at the right rate.
Mix sugar, soy sauce, ginger. Set aside. Mix sherry, vinegar. Set aside.
Heat peanut oil in wok at 350 degrees. When hot, add red pepper flakes, stir 10 seconds.
Add ground pork, stir for 1 minute (or until pork is completely cooked). Add green beans, stir for ~2 minutes (or until beans are as cooked as desired).
Add sugar, soy sauce, ginger, "stir until liquid evaporates" (that's what the original recipe called for, I generally leave it 1-2 minutes or so).
Add sweet pepper; stir 15 seconds or so. (You can also add this a little earlier, during the preceding 'liquid evaporates stage - but towards the end, they don't need long to cook, especially the coloured peppers.)
Add sherry, vinegar and sesame oil; stir 10 seconds.
Serve immediately.
I use a West Bend electric wok, which has good temperature control, and the times are all based on that. A classical wok could be used, but you may need to adjust the times.
Keep stirring the mixture as constantly as you can - the more it's stirred, the more consistently the beans will be cooked.
You can replace the red pepper flakes with about 3 times the equivalent [since i) you won't eat them, and ii) when they are whole you don't get as much of the pepper acids out of them when they cook] in whole peppers.
This recipe can be safely approximately doubled by doubling materials, and extending the main cooking stage by a minute or so, but to do more than that, you have to do it in batches, otherwise with too much stuff in the wok the food will not cook at the right rate.
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Last updated: 30/October/2013