Simply swapping flour with potato starch isn’t always a recipe for success. But I was in for a surprise when it came to this crispy beef.

 

Yield: 4 servings

 

Ingredients:

1½ lb. pepper steak

½ cup potato starch

Oil for frying

⅔ cup ketchup

⅔ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup orange juice

⅓ cup water

 

Directions:

Slice pepper steak into thin strips.

Coat well with potato starch.

Heat ¼ inch oil in a large skillet.

Lower heat to medium-low and fry pepper steak for 4 minutes on each side.

Set aside to drain on paper towels while frying remaining meat.

Whisk ketchup, brown sugar, orange juice, and water in a small bowl.

When done frying, pour out most oil, leaving 2 tablespoons in pan.

Add sauce to pan and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer.

If serving immediately, stir in meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

If preparing in advance, freeze meat and sauce separately.

Before serving, thaw meat.

Fry sauce until boiling, lower to a simmer, and stir in meat for 5 minutes.

Serve warm.