Reverse Smoked & Fried Szechuan Crispy Beef Tacos
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Food:
Beef
Serves:
Makes 8 tacos
Prep Time:
20 min
Cook Time:
1 hour 15 min
Mouth watering crispy beef tacos, but make them bbq! These Reverse Smoked & Fried Szechuan Crispy Beef Tacos are made with smoked beef blade that is thinly sliced into strips, dredged and wok fried on the Alchemy elevated rack, then tossed in a tasty Szechuan sauce. Served on flour tortillas, with crisp lettuce, a fresh cucumber, carrot and bean sprout slaw, topped with that crispy, savoury beef, green onions and sesame seeds. Spice up your Taco Tuesday, or make them any day of the week, these easy crispy beef tacos are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
By:Chef Matt Basile
Ingredients
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2.5 lbs beef blade
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1 tbsp fish sauce
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3 tbsp garlic powder
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2 tbsp Joy Spice or msg seasoning
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1 tbsp ground coriander
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1 tbsp nutmeg
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½ cup corn starch (add more if needs more coverage)
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Oil for frying
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1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
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1 English cucumber
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1 large carrot
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50g Bean sprouts
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1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
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2 tbsp sesame oil
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1 oz lime juice
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2 cups water
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2 tsp corn starch
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2 tsp white sugar
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150ml Tamari or soy sauce
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150ml Hoisin sauce
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1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
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1 tbsp (heaping) grated garlic
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1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
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2 tbsp chili crisp
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1 bunch green onion
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8 flour tortillas
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8 pieces leaf lettuce
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Sesame seeds for garnish
Slaw
Sauce
To build
Instructions
Set smoker to 325F-350F. Note: Front load the smoker with wood so the smoke flavour can infuse into the meat in a short time.
Trim the fat off the beef blade and drizzle with the fish sauce, rub to coat and use as a binder. Season with garlic powder, Joy Spice (msg seasoning), ground coriander, ground nutmeg and place in the smoker for one hour.
In the meantime, make the slaw by thinly slicing the cucumber with a sharp knife or mandolin and place in a bowl. Thinly slice the carrot into matchsticks and add to the cucumbers. Peel the ginger and grate into the bowl, squeeze in the fresh lime juice and season with sesame oil and seasoned rice vinegar. Mix and set aside.
To make the sauce for the beef, grate the ginger and garlic. In a pot on the elevated rack, heat 2 cups of water until bubbling. Whisk in the corn starch and mix until mostly dissolved, then add in the sugar and mix. Add in the soy sauce, hoisin, seasoned rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and chili crisp. Mix. Allow to cook and reduce for a few minutes then remove from the heat.
Remove the beef blade from the smoker and allow to rest and cool slightly, then thinly slice.
Place the meat in a bowl and add in the corn starch in batches, mixing until the meat is coated.
Remove the grill plate from the elevated rack and place your wok in the centre over the fire.
Cut the roots off the green onion and cut the white part away from the green, keeping the white parts intact. Finely chop the green part for garnish and place in a bowl, set aside.
Add the bean sprouts to the cucumber and carrot slaw, season with salt and mix.
Add about an inch of oil to the wok and once hot, fry the beef in batches, making sure to use a slotted spoon to remove it from the oil.
Once all the beef has been fried, safely remove the oil from the wok, reserving about two tablespoons. Place the wok back onto the elevated rack and add the reserved oil. Add in the white part of the green onions, cook about a minute and then add in the beef. Add in the sauce, enough to coat the beef but not soak it, and allow to cook, mixing occasionally.
Warm the tortillas on the flattop and then transfer to a plate or platter. Remove the beef from the heat.
To build the tacos, place one piece of lettuce on each tortilla, top with the cucumber and carrot slaw, add the beef and then garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.