Orange Beef

Ingredients:

2 Florida juice oranges (or 3 Florida tangerines)
1-1/2 inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. peanut oil for sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch for sauce
2 Tbsp. water

1-1/2 lb. sirloin strips, cut into bite-size pieces, and dried on paper towels
Additional 1/2 cup cornstarch for coating beef
Additional 1/2 cup peanut oil for frying beef
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

(1) Using a peeler, zest the 2 oranges and set zest aside.
(2) In a small bowl, then squeeze the juice from the 2 oranges and set juice aside.
(3) In large bowl, toss beef pieces in 1/2 cup cornstarch and set aside.
(4) In a small pot, mix fresh orange juice, ginger, garlic, sugar, soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. peanut oil. Bring to a boil. In a small measuring cup, mix 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with 2 Tbsp. water and add slowly to the boiling orange mixture, stirring until mixture is thickened, then turn off heat.
(5) In a large frying pan, add 1/2 cup peanut oil. Cooking on medium-high heat, add red pepper flakes and stir for about a minute, until pepper flakes are browned. Then add pieces of orange zest, stirring constantly until zest just begins to turn brown around edges. Remove zest pieces and set aside. Add cornstarch coated beef to the frying pan and cook turning occasionally until beef is well browned and very crispy.
(6) Add the cooked orange zest pieces back to the beef in the pan and stir.
(7) Add the cooked and thickened orange mixture to the beef in the pan and stir quickly to distribute the sauce evenly. Remove from heat.

Serve immediately with steamed Jasmine rice (cook with a Tbsp. minced ginger) and steamed broccoli.

(Serves 4)