From the menu of -- Tasty China in Marietta

A. Tasty China’s chef Peter Zhang walked through the steps to make this classic Sichuan dish. Although Sichuan food is known for its tongue-tingling spice, this recipe is mild. The chef suggests you add more chile sauce if you’d like more heat. Recommendations for the beef range from bottom round to tenderloin. Try the cut that suits your budget. A trick for easy ginger peeling? Use a teaspoon to scrape off the skin. To round out the dish, toss in steamed vegetables before serving.

Tasty China’s Shredded Crispy Beef

Hands on: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

1 pound beef steak; sirloin, bottom round or tenderloin

3/4 cup water, divided

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

2 cups vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon hot chile sauce

Sesame seeds for garnish

Trim all fat from beef and cut meat into matchstick-size pieces. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, start machine running and add 1/4 cup water, ginger pieces and salt. Process until a paste is formed. Combine ginger paste with beef making sure all pieces are coated. Allow to rest 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons cornstarch and stir to coat beef thoroughly.

In a wok, heat oil over high heat until very hot. Add the beef and cook 5 minutes, or until the strips turn dark brown and crispy. It should be thoroughly cooked with a chewy texture, but not tough. Beef must be submerged while cooking and not crowded, so cook in batches if necessary.

As beef finishes cooking, remove from wok and set aside to drain. Keep warm.

When beef has finished cooking, discard cooking oil. In wok, heat soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, remaining cornstarch and chile sauce. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and heat until sauce is thickened. Add beef and toss together to coat strips with sauce. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 663 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), 22 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 56 grams fat (11 grams saturated), 71 milligrams cholesterol, 1,355 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to svanatten@ajc.com and put "From the menu of" in the subject line.