Calgary Recipe

THERE’S ONE ICONIC CANADIAN DISH that’s a “must try” in Calgary and you won’t find it at the steakhouse. Instead, head straight to Chinatown — the birthplace of stickysweet ginger beef.

Chinese food wasn’t always so popular in Cowtown. In the early- to mid-20th-century, Chinese-owned restaurants struggled to popularize Peking-inspired dishes and instead served comfort fare like burgers, fries and grilled cheese sandwiches. In the 1970s, George Wong, chef at The Silver Inn in Calgary, was looking for ways to boost business and make his menu more appealing to Western patrons. Playing with a recipe from Northern China and inspired by British pub grub, George deep-fried shredded beef and then simmered the crispy strips in a spicy chili sauce. He dubbed the dish “deep-fried shredded beef in chili sauce” and began serving it to patrons.

This dish would become a local favourite and eventually spread throughout Canada - Ginger Beef. With its unique blend of sweet and spicy flavours and crispy texture, Ginger Beef has become a beloved takeout staple for many.

In late 2022, Silver Inn closed its doors after 47 years. But you can recreate this classic dish in your own kitchen with Silver Inn’s original recipe for Ginger Beef.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the beef:

1 pound flank steak , sliced thinly against the grain oil for deep frying

Ingredients for the batter:

·

1 egg

·

1 cup water

1 1/4 cup corn starch

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 tablespoon white pepper

· 2-3 cups oil for frying the beef in

Ingredients for the vegetables in the sauce:

· 1 large carrot , finely julienned

1 sweet red bell pepper , finely julienned

1 green bell pepper , finely julienned

· 6 cloves garlic , finely julienned

· hefty chunk of ginger , size of two thumbs, depending upon taste, finely julienned

Ingredients for the sauce:

1/4 cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

· 3 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce (dark soy sauce will substitute)

· 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry)

· 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup if you like it sweet)

1/2 tablespoon or more crushed chilies

Instructions

Instructions for the batter:

· Combine all ingredients, toss beef in batter

· Deep-fry strips of beef, a few at a time, until crispy; set aside

Instructions for the sauce:

Stir fry vegetables until crispy; add sauce

· Bring to boil for 1 to 2 minutes; remove from heat

· Add beef; stir to coat with sauce

· For the authentic original Calgary Crispy Ginger Beef keep warm for 1-2 hours until the dark deep flavour and colour has permeated the entire dish; the sauce will thicken during this time