Can't get it here? Make it yourself!
FRESH CHILI METHOD
- Fresh, red chilis, 400g
- Salt, to purge, ~1/2 tsp
- Douchi a.k.a. Chinese fermented black soybeans (豆豉), 80g
- Hot, boiled water, to soak the douchi, ~1.5 tbsp
- Whole Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), 2 tsp
- Ground Beef, 150g
- Marinade for the beef: salt, 1/2 tsp; Sichuan pepper powder (花椒面), 1/2 tsp, white pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/4 tsp; soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp; liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp
- Oil to fry (preferably Sichuan caiziyou or Indian mustard seed oil, Peanut is ok), 1 cup
- Aromatics: garlic, 8 cloves, smashed; ginger, ~1 inch, smashed; onion, ~1/4 cut into slices
- Red fragrant chili powder (e.g. kashmiri or gochugaru or 陕西秦椒), ~1.5 tbsp
- Seasoning: MSG (味精), 1 tsp; sugar, 1 tsp; salt, 1/2 tsp; chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 1/2 tsp
Wash the chilis and slice them in half. De-rib and de-seed (not obsessively). Place under the sun in a strainer for ~30 minutes, or until mostly dry (alternatively, you can pat with paper towels or use a salad spinner). Finely mince the chilis.
Rinse the douchi, then soak with the hot, boiled water. Covered, ~30 minutes or so (do not exceed two hours of soaking).
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns for ~3 minutes over medium low heat, or until they begin slightly lose color and leave small oil splotches on your pan. Pound or grind into a powder.
Marinate the beef.
To make the oil, first fry the aromatics over a medium flame. Once golden brown, ~8 minutes, strain out the aromatics. Add the oil back to the pot.
Over a medium-high flame, fry the marinated beef until it's crisp and the fat's rendered out, ~6 minutes. Strain and reserve the crispy beef. Add the oil back to the pot.
Over a medium-low flame, add the minced chilis. Patiently fry the chilis until they lose their moisture and are just starting to turn crimson. You can up to a medium flame if the process is taking a long time, but do be careful as you do not want your chilis to get too scorched. This took about ~12 minutes for us on our stove.
Add in the chili powder and the soaked douchi. Fry for about a minute or two, or until the moisture from the douchi has evaporated away. Shut off the heat. Add in the beef, the Sichuan peppercorn powder, and the seasoning.
Best one day later.
EASY HOMEMADE METHOD
- Red fragrant chili powder (e.g. kashmiri or gochugaru or 陕西秦椒), 2 tbsp
- Baijiu (白酒) -or vodka -or water, to soak, ~2 tbsp
- Whole Sichuan peppercorns (花椒), 1 tsp
- Ground Beef, 75g
- Marinade for the beef: salt, 1/4 tsp; Sichuan pepper powder (花椒面), 1/4 tsp, white pepper powder (白胡椒粉), 1/8 tsp; soy sauce (生抽), 1/2 tsp; liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1/2 tsp
- Oil to fry (preferably Sichuan caiziyou or Indian mustard seed oil, Peanut is ok), 1/4 cup
- Aromatics: garlic, 4 cloves, smashed; ginger, ~1/2 inch, smashed; onion, ~1/8 cut into slices
- Lao Gan Ma Black Bean Chili (老干妈风味豆豉油辣椒), 1/4 cup
- Seasoning: MSG (味精), 1/2 tsp; sugar, 1/2 tsp; salt, 1/4 tsp; chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), 1/4 tsp
Soak the chili powder with alcohol or water.
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns for ~3 minutes over medium low heat, or until they begin slightly lose color and leave small oil splotches on your pan. Pound or grind into a powder.
Marinate the beef.
To make the oil, first fry the aromatics over a medium flame. Once golden brown, ~8 minutes, strain out the aromatics. Add the oil back to the pot.
Over a medium-high flame, fry the marinated beef until it's crisp and the fat's rendered out, ~6 minutes. Strain and reserve the crispy beef. Add the oil back to the pot.
Over a medium-low flame, add in the soaked chili powder. Fry for ~1-2 minutes. Add back the beef. Add in the Lao Gan Ma and the seasoning.