Ingredients

• 1/3 cup roasted cashews , unsalted (or peanuts, Note 1)
• 1 tbsp canola oil , or other plain cooking oil
• 500 g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef)
• 1 small onion , finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves (sub green onion)

Sweet chilli stir fry sauce:

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (I use Trident)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (sub cider vinegar)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (Note 3)
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 3)

Sweet chilli drizzle sauce:

• 1 garlic clove , minced using garlic crusher
• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice (sub rice vinegar when limes are crazy expensive)
• 2 tsp fish sauce (Note 2)

Serving:

• 2 batches jasmine rice or other plain rice of choice
• Steamed or fresh veg (Note 5) (pictured: chopped cucumber, coriander/cilantro, red onion finely sliced)

Instructions

Abbreviated recipe

• Mix each sauce. Toast cashews, sauté onion + garlic 1 min, then cook beef. Add sauce, cook until reduced/caramelised, serve over rice with veg on side. Spoon over drizzle sauce, top with cashews and coriander.

Full recipe:

• Drizzle sauce – Mix the ingredients in a bowl, set aside.
• Stir fry sauce – Mix the ingredients in a separate bowl, set aside.
• Toast cashews – Heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add the cashews and toast for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board then roughly chop once cool.
• Cook beef – Heat the oil in the same pan over high heat. Add the garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see raw meat.
• Sauce it! Add the cooking sauce and cook well, stirring, until it mostly reduces down so the sauce caramelises on the beef, about 3 – 4 minutes. (Don’t shortcut this step, it’s where the flavour is!)
• Serve the beef over rice with a side of veg. Douse everything with the sauce, top with cashews and coriander (fresh chilli wouldn’t go astray either). To eat, jumble everything up then dig in!

Ingredients

Spice Mix

• 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder , adjust spiciness to taste (Note 5)
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp All Spice powder (ground All Spice)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp onion powder or garlic powder OR 1 tsp of each
• 1 tsp salt and pepper , each

Beef

• 1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 lb / 1.5kg beef chuck or brisket (or gravy or any other slow cooking beef) cut into 4 pieces
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion , diced (yellow, brown or white)
• 3/4 cup (185 ml) orange juice
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 14 oz / 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups (500 ml) beef or chicken broth/stock
• 1/2 cup (125ml) water
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Combine the Spice Mix ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons over the beef and pat so it sticks.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the beef (in batches if necessary) and brown well on all sides. Remove onto a plate.
• Turn the stove down to medium. If the pot looks dry, add more olive oil. 
• Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
• Add the orange juice and lime juice, and scrape the bottom of the pot so the brown bits mix into the liquid. 
• Add tomato, beef stock, water and remaining spice mix. Mix, then return beef into pot. 
• Put the lid on, bring to a simmer then turn the stove down so it is bubbling gently, not rapidly. 
• Cook for 2 hours, then remove lid and simmer for another 30 minutes until beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 2 other cook methods).
• Remove the beef from sauce, shred with 2 forks. 
• Leave the sauce to simmer with the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce and thicken to your taste. Adjust salt to taste. Optional: puree with stick blender to make it smooth (I do this for company)
• Toss beef back into the sauce (can reserve some Sauce for drizzling on tacos if you want, there’s plenty).
• Transfer beef into large dish and serve. See notes for suggestions.

Tacos

• To make tacos, serve the beef with warmed small tortillas, avocado slices, Pico de Gallo, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges and extra cilantro/coriander leaves.

Ingredients

CupsMetric

• 1/2 cup (75g) preserved black beans (salted black beans, fermented black beans, Note 1)
• 400g/14 oz beef rump steak (US: top sirloin) , thinly sliced 3mm / 0.1″ (Note 2)
• 1 brown onion , medium size, cut into 2.5cm/1″ squares
• 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), medium size, cut into 2.5cm/1″ squares
• 1 tbsp garlic , finely minced with a knife ~ 4 cloves (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable, canola) (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing wine) (Note 5)

Tenderising beef marinade:

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 6)
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 6)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate) (Note 7)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil (toasted ie brown, not untoasted which is yellow)

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 6)
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch (20g)
• 1 cup water

Serving:

• White rice

Instructions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Marinade beef 1 hour, soak beans, mix sauce. Shallow fry beef 30 seconds, remove. Discard all but 3 tbsp oil. Add and cook in this order: black beans 20 seconds, garlic 10 seconds, onion + capsicum 1 minute, beef 1 minute, cooking wine 30 seconds, sauce 1 minute or until thickened. Serve!

Marinade beef:

• Mix the marinade ingredients EXCEPT sesame oil in a bowl. Add beef, mix to coat. Add sesame oil, mix again.
• Marinade – Refrigerate to marinade for 1 hour.

Preparation:

• Soak beans – Put the salted black beans in a medium bowl and cover with water. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour to soak, then drain.
• Mix sauce – Put the cornflour, soy sauce and sugar in a jug or small bowl. Mix until lump free then mix in the water. Set aside.

Cooking:

• Cook beef – Heat the oil in a wok (or non stick pan) over high heat. Add the beef and cook, tossing, for 30 seconds until it changes from red to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
• Discard most of the oil in the wok, keep just 3 tablespoons.
• Aromatics – Return the wok to high heat. Add the black beans and stir for 20 seconds, then add the garlic and stir for 10 seconds. Add the capsicum and onion, cook for 1 minute.
• Beef – Add beef and any juices pooled on the plate, toss for 1 minute. Pour the Chinese cooking wine around the sides of the wok so it runs down into the beef then toss for 30 seconds (Note 8)
• Sauce – Pour the sauce in, then stir and let it bubble for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens, is shiny and coats the beef beautifully.
• Serve – Pour into a serving bowl and serve with rice!

Ingredients

Spice Paste

• 12 dried chilies, rehydrated in boiling water, or 12 large fresh (Note 1a)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (Note 1b)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 lemongrass stalks, white part only, sliced (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh galangal, finely chopped (Note 3)
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola or peanut oil)

Curry

• 2 lb/ 1 kg chuck steak, or other slow cooking beef, cut into 4cm / 1.6″ cubes (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp oil (vegetable, peanut, canola)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp clove powder
• 3 star anise
• 1/2 tsp cardamon powder
• 1 lemongrass stick, bottom half of the stick only and smashed (Note 5)
• 400ml / 14 oz coconut milk (1 standard can)
• 2 tsp tamarind puree / paste, or tamarind pulp soaked in 1 tbsp of hot water, seeds removed (Note 6)
• 4 large kaffir lime leaves (or 6 small) , very finely sliced (Note 7)
• 1/3 cup desiccated coconut (finely shredded coconut)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or grated palm sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

• Place Spice Paste ingredients in a small food processor and whizz until fine. NOTE: If using dried chilli and you know your food processor is not that powerful, chop the chilli first.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add half the beef and brown, then remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Lower heat to medium low. Add Spice Paste and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until the wetness has reduced and the spice paste darkens (don’t breathe in too much, the chilli will make you cough!).
• Add remaining Curry ingredients and beef. Stir to combine.
• Bring to simmer, then immediately turn down the heat to low or medium low so the sauce is bubbling very gently.
• Put the lid on the pot and leave it to simmer for 1 hr 15 minutes.
• Remove lid and check the beef to see how tender it is. You don’t want it to be “fall apart at a touch” at this stage, but it should be quite tender. If it is fall apart already, remove the beef from the pot before proceeding.
• Turn up heat to medium and reduce sauce for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring every now and then at first, then frequently towards the end until the beef browns and the sauce reduces to a paste that coats the beef. (Note 9) 
• The beef should now be very tender, fall apart at a touch. If not, add a splash of water and keep cooking. Remove from heat and serve with plain or Restaurant Style Coconut Rice.

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, peanut)
• 500g / 1 lb beef mince / ground beef (Note 1)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (adjust to your taste)
• 3 tbsp water

Firecracker sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce , light or all-purpose (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (Note 3)
• 4 tbsp sriracha sauce (Note 4)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar (tightly packed)

To serve (optional!):

• Rice, soba or vermicelli noodles
• 1 green onion , finely sliced
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Diced cucumber, julienned carrot, finely sliced red radish
• Extra sriracha sauce , if you dare!

Instructions

• Sauce: Mix Firecracker sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Cook beef: Heat oil in a large frypan over high heat. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see raw meat (2½ minutes). Add garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute.
• Caramelise beef: Add Firecracker sauce ingredients, stir to coat the beef. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring only every minute or so initially, then more towards the end, until the sauce reduces and you can see the beef caramelising. Caramelise well for good flavour!
• Water: Add the water and cook for 1 minute (the water makes the beef saucier!)
• Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds, green onion and a squirt of extra sriracha if you’re feeling brave! Add a pile of vegetables of choice on the side. Dive in!

Ingredients

• 750g / 1.5 lb beef tri-tip , sirloin steak tips or other steak cut, (Note 1)
• 3 capsicum / bell peppers (red, yellow green)
• 1 large red onion
• 16 small mushrooms , 3.25cm / 1.3″ wide

Marinade:

• 1 tsp minced garlic (2 large garlic clove)
• 1 tsp onion powder (or sub with garlic powder)
• 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cooking:

• 16 flat metal skewers , 25 – 30cm / 10 – 12″ (Note 3)
• Olive oil , for drizzling and cooking
• Finely chopped parsley , garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Cut the beef into 3.25cm / 1.3″ wide cubes.
• Mix Marinade in a bowl. Add beef. Marinate for 1 – 24 hours, minimum 20 minutes.
• Cut capsicum and onion into 3.25cm / 1.3″ wide squares.
• Thread beef (reserve Marinade), vegetables and mushrooms on each skewer. I use 2 pieces of vegetables between each piece of beef. Thread loosely – don’t smush together tightly (helps even cooking).
• Brush kebabs lightly with Reserved Marinade (including vegetables), then drizzle with olive oil.
• Heat BBQ or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, then when smoking, cook kebabs in batches for 2 minutes on each side until slightly charred (4 sides = 8 minutes in total), basting with Reserved Marinade as you go.
• Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired. See note for pictured Pink Dipping Sauce.