Making Panda Express Beijing Beef At Home | But Better

Sauce: 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, light and dark soy sauces, white vinegar, black vinegar, if using, ketchup, sriracha, hoisin, and Sichuan peppercorns. Set aside. 

‍Beijing Beef:

1. Fill a large wok halfway up with vegetable oil and heat over medium to 350℉ (175℃). Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and place that next to the hot oil.
2. In a medium bowl, add the beef and season with salt and white pepper. Add the ginger and toss to combine.
3. In a separate, medium bowl, add the egg and 1.5 Tbsp (22g) water. Whisk to create an egg wash.
4. In a third, medium bowl, add ½ cup (70g) cornstarch along with the flour and salt. Whisk to combine. 
5. In batches, add the seasoned beef to the egg wash. Remove, allowing the excess egg to drip off before adding to the flour and cornstarch mixture. Press the beef into the flour mixture to fully coat and then shake off the excess before placing onto a baking sheet.  
6. Carefully add the beef, in batches, to the hot oil to fry for 4-5 minutes or until crispy. Remove and place onto the prepared cooling rack to drain of excess oil. Carefully dispose of the fry oil and wipe the wok clean.  
7. Into the wok, add the vegetable oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering.
8. Add the bell pepper and onion and season with salt, to taste. Fry until the vegetables begin to lightly brown and the onion starts to turn translucent. 
9. Add all of the sauce and the chili flakes. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 2 minutes to reduce.
10. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tsp (5g) cornstarch with 2 tsp (12g) water to create a slurry.
11. Whisk half of the slurry into the sauce to thicken. For a thicker sauce, add more slurry and whisk to combine. 
12. Once the sauce resembles a thick glaze, toss in the fried beef and quickly stir to evenly coat the beef with the sauce. Remove from the heat.
13. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant.
14. To serve, spoon a heap of white rice into a bowl and top with a generous portion of the crispy Beijing Beef.