On the rare opportunity that I actually have control of the television, I switch from Joe’s practically permanent Fox Soccer Channel and make a move to something I can get lost in for a few hours, cuddled up on the couch with a fluffy blanket. Occasionally I dabble in some guilty pleasures, like any show where women are trying on a series of wedding dresses or freaking out about the wedding planning process (I promise, I am no “bridezilla”…yet.), supplemented by Law & Order marathons. Usually, though, I turn to educational programming; in my channel lineup that’s not so much of a C-SPAN or PBS as it is the Cooking Channel and Food Network.

It may not be politics or history, but the “foodie” shows inspire me, teach me new cooking methods, and even speak to my desires to travel. My latest obsession is Easy Chinese: San Francisco with Taiwanese-British chef Ching He Huang. The show combines my constant craving for Chinese food with my second-favorite city in the entire world, accompanied by Huang’s awesome accent and enviable mastery in her trade. With Chinese New Year taking place this week (and it being the year of the Dragon, at that) her recipes have been extra-inviting, and watching her show has been comparable to going to the grocery store with an appetite: absolute torture. I felt it was only appropriate to choose my favorite of her dishes to ring in the Year of the Dragon.

Yan-Yang Crispy Beef

• Adapted from Easy Chinese: San Francisco
• Ingredients
• Peanut oil, for frying
• 1 pound sirloin steak, pounded ¼-thick and finely sliced into strips
• 3 tablespoons, cornstarch
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons, soy sauce
• ½ cup, sweet chili sauce
• 1 large orange, zested and juiced
• 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
• ½ cucumber, sliced in half, seeds scooped out and thinly sliced into half moons
• 1 large scallion, thinly sliced on the bias, for garnish
• 1 to 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Fill a wok or large sauté pan with about 1 ½ – 2 inches of oil and heat over high heat. Place the beef strips in a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Toss until the beef has absorbed the cornstarch. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch right before frying and toss to coat. Fry the beef in 2 to 3 batches until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with sea salt. In another sauté pan, turn heat to high and add the soy sauce, chili sauce and orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until it becomes thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the beef in the sauce to coat thoroughly. Serve over a bed of the shredded lettuce and sliced cucumber that has been sprinkled with rice vinegar. Then garnish with the scallions and orange zest.

While we’re on the topic of guilty pleasures, it’s no secret that mine is Chinese food. Whether it’s a sit-down style dim-sum or slightly above average take-out, I’m happy either way. Making it at home, though, tops anything you could get in Chinatown. When I went to the grocery store with my list, I was browsing the meat department for the required pound of sirloin steak and came across thinly pre-cut strips of “stir-fry” beef. There was no way I was missing the opportunity to avoid the extra work, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t either; the beef strips fried up nice and crispy with the slight coating of cornstarch in minutes. The sweet sauce is spiked with a hint of spice, and it’s hypnotizing to watch it bubble up as it warms in the pan. It turns out thick enough to generously cover each piece of beef without taking away from the crunchy coating. As crazy as it sounds, the bed of cool, raw veggies sprinkled with the gentle taste of rice vinegar is almost the best part of this dish, as it really bolsters the taste of the warm, sweet and spicy beef.

There really is no reason you can’t make this dish if you are wok-less, like me.  But once I was finished, there was a visible reminder that I need to add this piece of equipment to my pots and pans; hot oil splashed almost everywhere, which is the drawback of working with a flat sauté pan with shallow sides. This isn’t a huge deal to clean up, but make sure you wear long sleeves and an apron, to avoid the pesky singed arm hairs or ruining your favorite t-shirt. Another tip: usually I find deals on my most used groceries, like canned beans or spices, in the ethnic foods aisle. Though you can find sweet chili sauce with the Asian ingredients, I found this was the one time where I wasn’t going to save; Frank’s RedHot makes a sweet-chili sauce located with the other hot sauces for almost a full dollar less.

This recipe is more than just one dish; it really turns out to be a well-rounded meal. The ever-so-slightly indulgent, sticky beef is enough to honor any strong craving for Chinese takeout. Yet the raw veggies do just as much to flavor the beef as the saucy coating. Not only is the bed of lettuce and cucumber a better option than white rice, is helps you avoid having to make a side dish to accompany the meat.

Casey Ann is a local foodie and blogger. Check out her recipes and reviews at www.cleanpl8.com