A smoky bowl of Hunan Beef With Cumin loaded with umami flavor and healthy kale. This Chinese-inspired recipe is ready in 20 minutes!
Hunan Beef With Cumin
I’ve been cooking with a lot less meat these days. Generally, I’d say our diet here in Casa le Phelps is about 80% vegetarian, and about 20% fish and lean meat. It works for us! It has also been really fun to take flavor-profiles that normally rely on meat and apply the preparation techniques to members of the vegetable kingdom – like this char siu style roasted eggplant recipe.
However happy I am with our flexitarian diet, sometimes I start to get a craving for beef that just won’t be satisfied by anything else. When that happens, I’m sure to make it count! This Hunan beef with cumin recipe is smoky, umami-loaded perfection. Plus, I added some mega-healthy baby kale to this Hunan beef recipe which soaked up the intense flavors of the dish.
Cumin is a member of the parsley family, but tastes more earthy and nutty with a slight hint of lemon. Ground into a powder, cumin is a spice that is said to aid in digestion and boost immunity. You’ll find cumin used in preparations of lamb and beef in quite a few Chinese recipes – predominantly Szechuan and Hunan cooking. Both regional cooking styles rely on hot and spicy flavors. However, Szechuan cuisine leans heavily on the tongue (and lip) numbing Szechuan peppercorns. Don’t worry, your lips won’t catch fire with this Hunan beef recipe, but there is some fire brought on by dried chili / red pepper flakes.
I also used Shaoxing wine in this Hunan beef recipe, which is a traditional Chinese wine, fermented from rice. If you have trouble finding it, no problem! A dry sherry will totally do the trick when making this Hunan recipe at home. One of my favorite aspects of making Hunan beef was how easy and quick it was to whip up! You can prep ingredients while the beef is marinating quickly in a mixture of Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and cornstarch – and can be plating a short 20 minutes later. Nice!
The sauce from this Hunan dish almost resembles a smoky, thick gravy. Served over rice this Hunan beef with cumin and kale recipe is a simple, well rounded meal. Not only is it delicious, it embraces members from quite a few food groups. Tasty and just plain good for you!? I’m sold! It will probably be a while before we eat beef again at home, but when we do, this Hunan beef recipe will definitely be at the top of the list. What is your favorite Chinese meal to make at home? Let me know about your yummy favorites in the comments!
Other simple, delicious, Chinese-inspired recipes:
- Long Life Kung Pao Chicken
- Moo Goo Gai Pan
- Empress Chicken
- Baked General Tso Chicken
- Dry-Fried Green Beans With Garlic Sauce
Did you like this Hunan Beef With Cumin Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Hunan Beef With Cumin
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stir frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
A smoky Hunan Beef With Cumin Recipe, loaded with umami flavor and healthy kale. This Chinese-inspired recipe is ready in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 pound skirt steak, sirloin, flank or top round
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2 teaspoons ginger (peeled and minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups baby kale (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 stalks scallions (finely chopped on the bias)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir in Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), dark and light soy sauces, cornstarch and one tablespoon water. Cut the beef into thin slices, against the grain, and add to the bowl. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- In a pan over high heat, add peanut oil, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and cook for one minute.
- Add beef and cook for 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Add kale and cook for 2 minutes, until it begins to wilt. Add cumin, toss and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off. Add scallions and sesame oil and stir. Season with salt and/or more soy sauce if needed.
- Serve with rice.
Notes
This Hunan beef recipe will keep refrigerated for up to three days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 381
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 548.8 mg
- Fat: 13.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.8 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 43.6 g
- Cholesterol: 100.4 mg
Can I use Marsala instead of sherry?
Hi Iris,
I would recommend a dry vermouth (not sweet) or Madeira as a substitute.