Silky Beef & Eggs (Hua Dan Niu Rou)

The story

Hua dan — "slippery egg" — is the Cantonese texture standard, and with velveted beef it becomes a full restaurant dish. The eggs stay barely set; the beef stays tender. Both happen because of ten minutes of marinating and low heat.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Beef (flank), sliced thin — 8 oz / 225 g
• Eggs — 4, beaten with 1 tbsp water
• Scallions — 2, sliced
• Soy sauce — 1 tbsp, divided
• Cornstarch — 1 tsp
• Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt, white pepper, cooking oil. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Velvet the beef: 1 tsp soy, cornstarch, 1 tsp water; rest 10 minutes.
2. Sear beef hot and fast, 1–2 minutes; remove and rest.
3. Pour beaten eggs over medium-low into the same pan; when barely setting, beef and scallions back in.
4. Fold gently twice — leave the eggs glossy — and slide onto a plate. Sesame oil, white pepper.

Swaps

Shrimp version is the other Cantonese classic. Same eggs with just scallions is a perfect vegetarian plate.