The Unobtainable Beef Lao Gan Ma (牛肉末豆豉油辣椒)

Two ways to make the unobtainable Lao Gan Ma.

The Fresh Chili Method

• Fresh, red chilis, 400g

• Salt, ~ ½ tsp. For purging.

• Douchi a.k.a. Chinese fermented black soybeans (豆豉), 80g

• Hot, boiled water, ~1.5 tbsp. To soak the douchi.

• Whole Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), 2 tsp

• Ground Beef, 150g

• Marinade for the beef:

  Salt, ½ tsp

  Sichuan pepper powder (花椒面), ½ tsp

  White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ¼ tsp

  Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp

  Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp

• Oil to fry, 1 cup. Preferably Sichuan caiziyou or Indian mustard seed oil. Peanut is ok too.

• Aromatics:

  Garlic, 8 cloves. Smashed.

  Ginger, ~1 inch. Smashed.

  Onion, ~¼. Cut into slices.

• Red fragrant chili powder (e.g. kashmiri or gochugaru or 陕西秦椒), ~1.5 tbsp

• Seasoning:

  MSG (味精), 1 tsp

  Sugar, 1 tsp

  Salt, ½ tsp

  Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), ½ tsp

Process:

To prep:

Wash 400g of chilis and slice them in half. De-rib and de-seed (not obsessively). Place under the sun in a strainer for ~30 minutes, or until mostly dry (alternatively, you can pat with paper towels or use a salad spinner). Finely mince the chilis.

Rinse 80g of douchi, then soak with 1.5 tbsp of hot, boiled water. Covered, ~30 minutes or so (do not exceed two hours of soaking).

Toast two tsp of Sichuan peppercorns for ~3 minutes over medium low heat, or until they begin slightly lose color and leave small oil splotches on your pan. Pound or grind into a powder.

Marinate 150g of ground beef with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp Sichuan pepper powder, ¼ tsp white pepper powder, 1 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine.

Smash eight cloves of garlic and one inch of ginger. Cut ¼ of an onion into slices.

To make the oil:

Add one cup of oil to a wok and fry the aromatics over a medium flame. Once golden brown, ~8 minutes, strain out the aromatics. Add the oil back to the pot.

Over a medium-high flame, fry the marinated beef until it's crisp and the fat's rendered out, ~6 minutes. Strain and reserve the crispy beef. Add the oil back to the pot.

Over a medium-low flame, add the minced chilis. Patiently fry the chilis until they lose their moisture and are just starting to turn crimson. You can up to a medium flame if the process is taking a long time, but do be careful as you do not want your chilis to get too scorched. This took about ~12 minutes for us on our stove.

Add in 1.5 tbsp of chili powder and the soaked douchi. Fry for about a minute or two, or until the moisture from the douchi has evaporated away. Shut off the heat. Add in the beef and the Sichuan peppercorn powder. Season with 1 tsp MSG, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder - or, to taste.

Best one day later.

Easy Homemade Method

• Red fragrant chili powder (e.g. kashmiri or gochugaru or 陕西秦椒), 2 tbsp

• Baijiu (白酒) -or vodka -or water ~2 tbsp. For soaking the chili powder.

• Whole Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), 1 tsp

• Ground Beef, 75g

• Marinade for the beef:

  Salt, ¼ tsp

  Sichuan pepper powder (花椒面), ¼ tsp

  White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ⅛ tsp

  Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp

  Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp

• Oil to fry, ¼ cup. Preferably Sichuan caiziyou or Indian mustard seed oil. Peanut is ok too.

• Aromatics:

  Garlic, 4 cloves. Smashed.

  Ginger, ½ inch. Smashed.

  Onion, ~ ⅛. Cut into slices.

• Lao Gan Ma Black Bean Chili (老干妈风味豆豉油辣椒), ¼ cup

• Seasoning:

  MSG (味精), ½ tsp

  Sugar, ½ tsp

  Salt, ¼ tsp

  Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), ¼ tsp

Process:

To prep:

Soak 2 tbsp of chili powder with 2 tbsp of alcohol or water.

Toast 1 tsp of whole Sichuan peppercorns for ~3 minutes over medium low heat, or until they begin slightly lose color and leave small oil splotches on your pan. Pound or grind into a powder.

Marinate 75g of ground beef with ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp Sichuan pepper powder, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, ½ tsp of soy sauce and ½ tsp of liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine.

Smash four cloves of garlic and a half inch of ginger. Cut ⅛ of an onion into slices.

To make the oil:

Add a quarter cup of oil to a wok and fry the aromatics over a medium flame. Once golden brown, ~8 minutes, strain out the aromatics. Add the oil back to the pot.

Over a medium-high flame, fry the marinated beef until it's crisp and the fat's rendered out, ~6 minutes. Strain and reserve the crispy beef. Add the oil back to the pot.

Over a medium-low flame, add in the soaked chili powder. Fry for ~1-2 minutes. Add back the beef. Add in ¼ cup of Lao Gan Ma, and season with ½ tsp MSG, ½ tsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp chicken bouillon powder - or, to taste.