Calgary-Style Crispy Ginger Beef | Canadian-Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Beef

Freeze the beef for 20 minutes to firm it, then slice across the grain into 3 mm strips and cut them into matchsticks. Beat the eggs, then whisk in the cornstarch, flour, water, and salt to make a crepe-batter consistency. Add the beef and make sure every piece is coated; thickly coated pieces will not turn crisp.

Finely chop the ginger and garlic. In a small saucepan, bring the rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and red pepper flakes to a boil. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 4 minutes, until the sauce is syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat; it will thicken further as it cools.

Heat the oil to 160°C / 320°F. Separate the battered beef pieces as you add them to the oil so they do not stick together; do not add more than a handful at a time. Fry for 3 minutes, until pale golden, then transfer to a wire rack. This first fry cooks the beef, but the coating will still be soft.

Raise the oil temperature to 190°C / 375°F and fry the same batches for another 90 seconds. The coating will turn deep golden and crackle when it hits the wire rack. Do not remove it before you hear that sound; a coating that does not crackle will soften quickly under the sauce.

Stir-fry the julienned carrot in a large wok or skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and, once it begins to bubble, add the fried beef and toss for 30 seconds. Leaving it longer will make the coating absorb the sauce. Finish with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.