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Make Chinese takeout favorite in home kitchen By Sarah Lemon Jan 28, 2020 07:16 PM A A Lunar New Year festivities commenced worldwide Saturday and will last through this week and next. Southern Oregon’s own celebration culminates Feb. 8 in Jacksonville, where Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association has a full slate of events to ring in the Year of the Rat. All the media focus on this Asian tradition — with its sights, sounds, smells and tastes — is sure to pique my appetite for Chinese food. Happily, this blog has numerous posts from years past about what to make for Chinese New Year, including Crispy Orange Beef , Hoisin-Pomegranate Glazed Duck Breast , Easy Egg Rolls and Cashew Chicken . Here’s another to consider, one that’s about as close to Chinese takeout as the home kitchen can produce, according to recipe testers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Shredded Crispy Beef With Chile 1 cup cornstarch 2 eggs 1 pound sirloin steak, sliced into strips Peanut oil, for frying Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks 1/2 onion, peeled and cut into strips 3 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 tablespoons honey 2 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced 1 tablespoon red chile flakes Hot sauce like Tabasco or Sriracha, to taste 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil 1 jalapeno, stemmed and sliced very thin, for serving 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish Tip the cornstarch into large bowl and beat the eggs in another. Add the beef strips to eggs and mix thoroughly, then transfer to cornstarch, coating each piece and shaking off excess. Heat enough peanut oil to deep-fry beef in a wok to 350 F. Carefully drop beef slices into oil in batches and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy. Remove and drain on a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a nonstick wok, add the ginger and garlic and fry for 20 seconds. Add the carrot and onion and continue frying for 1 more minute. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, honey, scallions and chile flakes. Add a dash or two of hot sauce, if using. Bring to a boil. Add crispy beef and stir to coat evenly. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve alongside or on top of jasmine rice, with the jalapeno and sesame seeds scattered on top. Makes 4 servings. — Recipe adapted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from “Chinese Takeout Cookbook” by Kwoklyn Wan (Quadrille Publishing, August 2019, $23) Tribune News Service photo