Fog South Mint Beef

The British understanding of Chinese cuisine is based predominantly on Cantonese cooking because the first Chinese immigrants to the UK were from Hong Kong.Yet Chinese food ranges from the pork-heavy cuisine of Guangdong tothe pork-free food of the Muslim areas of Xinjiang in northwestern China.This dish exemplifies the diversity of China’s regional cuisines.Yunnan borders Vietnam and its cooking is unique，partly because of the influences from over the border，but also due to the fact that the Bai people from the area are dairy producers.This means that Yunnanese cuisine features milk，butter and cheese，quite unlike the rest of China.

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

300g well-marbled，dry-aged rib-eye beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

100g butter

2 tablespoons cucumber hearts，diced into bite-sized pieces

12 mint leaves，deep-fried，plus 8 fresh mint leaves to garnish salt and white pepper

For the dressing

2 tablespoons white rice vinegar

2 tablespoons clear honey

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon chopped lemon grass

pinch of salt

pinch of white pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon fermented chili bean paste

1.Heat a dry，heavy-based frying pan until extremely hot.

2.Rub the beef with the oil，season with salt and pepper and sear on both sides until you have a brown crust.

3.Add the butter to the pan and baste the beef for 1-5 minutes，according to your preference，as if you were working in a classic French kitchen.

4.Remove the beef from the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

5.For the dressing，combine all the ingredients in a pan and warm gently.

6.Slice the beef into 3mm-thick slices and dress it with the sauce，then scatter over the cucumber dice and the deep-fried and fresh mint leaves，scrunching the fresh leaves up in your hand first to release the aroma.

hancheng

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