Tangerine Beef with Snap Peas
Recipe from J. Kenji López-Alt
This dish uses a washing, baking-soda tenderizing, and gentle batch stir-fry technique to deliver supremely tender beef. It’s finished with a bright, citrus-forward sauce inspired by classic orange peel beef. Instead of dried mandarin peel, it relies on finely julienned fresh tangerine peel for a bright, aromatic flavor.
15 min
30 min, plus marinating time
4
What You'll Need
Ingredient
For the Beef
1 pound (450 g) beef skirt, flank, hanger, or flap, sliced thin against the grain
½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) light soy sauce or shoyu
1 teaspoon (5 ml) Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
½ teaspoon (2 g) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) cornstarch
For the Tangerine Sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) light soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5 ml) dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh tangerine juice
1½ tablespoons (18 g) sugar
1½ tablespoons (22 ml) rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
¼ cup (120 ml) chicken stock or water
For the Cornstarch Slurry
2 teaspoons (6 g) cornstarch
1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
For the Stir-Fry
12 ounces (340 g) snap peas, strings removed
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons neutral oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons, or 5 g)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about a ½-inch piece)
Finely julienned peel of 1 tangerine, white pith removed
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch segments
Optional: 1–2 small dried red chiles
Directions
Step 1
Prepare the beef. Place the sliced beef in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Agitate vigorously, as if washing clothes. Drain through a fine-mesh strainer and press firmly to remove excess water.
Step 2
Return the beef to the bowl. Add the baking soda and massage it into the meat, lifting and squeezing for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Work the marinade into the beef for at least 30 seconds. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to overnight.
Step 3
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the light and dark soy sauces, tangerine juice, sugar, vinegar, and stock. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Step 4
In a second small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
Step 5
Stir-fry the beef. Rub a thin film of oil into the Our Place Carbon Steel Wok and set it over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat.
Step 6
Add half of the beef. Stir-fry, tossing constantly, until mostly cooked through with light browning in spots, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out the wok and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and beef. Set aside.
Step 7
Stir-fry the snap peas. Wipe out the wok and return it to high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and swirl to coat. Add the snap peas all at once and stir-fry until bright green and crisp-tender, just over a minute. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
Step 8
Bring it together. Wipe out the wok and return it to high heat until lightly smoking. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the garlic, ginger, tangerine peel, dried chiles (if using), and scallions. Stir-fry until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds.
Step 9
Return the beef and snap peas to the wok and toss to combine. Stir the sauce and pour it in around the edges of the pan. Stir the cornstarch slurry and add just enough to lightly thicken the sauce. Cook, tossing gently, until everything is coated and heated through, about 30 seconds.
Step 10
Adjust the consistency with more slurry if needed, or a splash of water if the sauce tightens too much.
Step 11
Serve. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately with steamed white rice.
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J. Kenji López-Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt is a chef, food writer, and bestselling author known for blending science and cooking with an approachable, curious style. A graduate of MIT, he shifted from biology to kitchens, working in fine dining before becoming managing culinary director at Serious Eats. His column “The Food Lab” earned a James Beard Award and evolved into a New York Times bestselling cookbook. He later authored The Wok and Every Night Is Pizza Night. Today, Kenji shares recipes and experiments through his books, YouTube channel, and social media, inspiring home cooks worldwide.
