When talking about flavour bombs, you must try this authentic Chinese coriander beef salad! This dish is quite common in Chinese Dapaidang (大排档 dà pái dàng) – a kind of local night market, where vendors sell street food and beer.
A popular saying in China is “王者以民为天，而民以食为天”, which means “The kingdom depends on people, but people depends on food”. Also, it’s a common belief amongst travellers that the best way of understanding a country and its culture is through its food. If you’re planning a trip to China, check out China’s top 10 night markets for a deep dive into Chinese culture through your taste buds.
Back to the dish now which packs tender, spicy, refreshing and vibrant all in one bowl. This special dish is originated from the 湘 (xiāng) region in Hunan Province, and it will knock your socks off. Other than that, it’s easy to prepare and quick to put together.
Chinese Coriander Beef Salad Recipe
Course: SaladCuisine: Chinese3
servings25
minutes10
minutesThis recipe will show you how to make an authentic Chinese coriander beef salad just like in the night markets of Hunan province.
Ingredients
- Main
500g beef joint
30g fresh coriander
- Marinate sauce
1 tbsp light soy
2 tsp dark soy
1/2 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tsp starch
- Salad Dressing
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tsp chilli flakes
¼ salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tbsp sugar
½ tbsp Chinese dark rice vinegar
½ tbsp light soy
5 shakes of ground Chinese Sichuan pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 fresh chillies
2 spring onions
Directions
- Cut your beef joint into thick pieces (around 3mm thick) and put them in a big container. I bought Sainsbury’s small fatted beef roasting joint and just removed the fat part, but you can use other cuts as well.
- Add 1 tbsp light soy, 2 tsp dark soy, ½ tsp Shaoxing cooking wine, ¼ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp starch to the sliced beef, massage well and set it aside. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Finely slice the chillies, spring onions and chop 2 cloves of garlic. Put them in a bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 2 tsp chilli flakes, ¼ salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tbsp sugar, ½ tbsp Chinese dark rice vinegar, ½ tbsp light soy, and 5 shakes of ground Chinese Sichuan pepper in the bowl.
- Heat up 3 tbsp of vegetable oil and pour it over the mixed dressing ingredients. You should be able to smell the fragrance by now; absolutely mouth-watering!
- Wash 30g fresh coriander and cut them in half. Set them aside on a plate for later use.
- Boil a pot of water.
- Boil the marinated sliced beef until it is thoroughly cooked. Drain the water and let the meat cool.
- Put the cooled meat in a big container, add the salad dressing and fresh coriander and mix well.
- Plate and serve. Hope this refreshing beef salad can bring you joy as all good food should do 😉 您慢用 (nín màn yòng).
Try It Yourself!
And there you have it! You can now make an authentic Chinese coriander beef salad to bring a dose of Chinese night market to your table. Try it out and let us know how it went by leaving us a comment below. We also check the comments for questions so fire away if you need some guidance. Be sure to also follow us on Instagram for more photos of authentic Chinese dishes.
