Chinese Chili with Peppers
Submitted by mommy2
Ground lamb wok-fried with tri-color bell peppers in a rich sauce of hoisin, oyster sauce, black bean paste, chili sauce, and sesame oil. A Chinese-style chili served over steamed rice or buttered noodles in under 40 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minForget everything you know about chili for a minute. This one trades the slow simmer and kidney beans for a blazing hot wok and a sauce that hits from every angle.
Ground lamb gets seasoned with dark soy, dry sherry, and hoisin before stir-frying until crumbly and browned. Cubed green, red, and yellow bell peppers go in next, cooking just until they brighten and soften at the edges.
Then comes the sauce: hoisin, oyster sauce, black bean paste, chili sauce, sesame oil, and chicken broth. It’s layered, complex, and coats every piece of lamb and pepper in glossy, savory heat.
A touch of cornstarch thickens it into something that clings to rice or noodles without pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Chef Tips
- Press the lamb against the hot wok sides as it cooks. This gets better browning than just stirring it around the bottom.
- Have all your sauces pre-measured and combined before the wok goes on. Once the heat is on, this moves fast and there’s no time to measure.
- Use all three pepper colors if you can. Beyond looking great, each one brings a slightly different sweetness.
- Lamb has a bold flavor that stands up to these big sauces. Ground pork or beef works too, but lamb is the best match here.
Ingredients
Directions
Stir-fried ground meat and diced vegetables in a spicy sauce produce an Oriental “chili” that can be mounded on steamed rice or buttered noodles to make a quick and satisfying dinner.
In a bowl, thoroughly combine lamb, soy sauce, sherry, and hoisin sauce.
Set aside until ready to cook.
Seed and stem peppers, then cut into ½ inch cubes.
Peel and coarsely chop onion.
Set peppers and onion aside.
In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients; set aside.
Stir cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water, then set aside.
Place wok over highest heat.
When wok becomes very hot, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to center, then roll oil around sides of wok.
When oil just begins to smoke, add lamb and stir-fry, pressing meat against the sides of the wok, until it loses its raw color and separates into small pieces, about 3 minutes.
Transfer to a work platter.
Immediately return wok to highest heat and add remaining tablespoon peanut oil to center.
Add ginger and garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
Add vegetables and stir-fry until peppers brighten and onion becomes transparent, about 2 minutes.
Return lamb to wok and pour in sauce.
Bring sauce to a low boil, then stir in a little cornstarch mixture to lightly thicken.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
Turn out onto a heated platter or individual plates.
Serve at once with steamed rice, noodles, or bread.
Comments
