Beef in Lantern Shadow

Beef in Lantern Shadow

　　Beef in Lantern Shadow is a traditional delicacy from Daxian, Sichuan. The beef slices are as thin as paper, bright red in color, and boast a spicy, numbing, fresh, and crisp taste. When chewed slowly, they leave an endlessly lingering aftertaste. "Lantern shadow" refers to shadow puppetry, where silhouettes cut from animal hide or cardboard are projected onto a screen using light. Naming this beef "Lantern Shadow" highlights just how thin the slices are—so thin that they can transmit images when held up to light, much like the screen in a shadow puppet show.

　　During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, a man surnamed Liu from Liangping County, Sichuan, ended up in Daxian, where he made a living by making cured meats and braised meats. Initially, the five-spice beef slices he produced were thick and tough, hard to chew, and prone to getting stuck between teeth, resulting in poor sales. Later, Mr. Liu pondered day and night and gradually improved his method: slicing the beef larger and thinner, marinating it thoroughly for flavor, then roasting it over heat, and finally drizzling it with fragrant oil before selling. This produced beef that was crispy, fragrant, and delicious, quickly becoming popular in the market. The Liu family businessman prospered and grew wealthy as a result. Seeing the profits to be made, others began imitating him, and Beef in Lantern Shadow gradually became one of Sichuan’s famous specialties... (Chengdu)

　　 "Beef in Lantern Shadow" is a uniquely prepared and flavorful Sichuan specialty dish.

　　 Legend has it that during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, a man named Liu Zhonggui from Liangping County, Sichuan, opened a small tavern in Daxian, at the southern foot of the Daba Mountains in northern Sichuan. Skilled in cooking, Liu sought to make a name for himself and carefully developed a premium side dish for drinking. Made from beef sliced as thin as paper—semi-transparent in appearance—it could show the shadow of a lantern light when held up to it, hence the name "Beef in Lantern Shadow." Soon, cities like Chengdu and Chongqing followed suit with their own versions. Chongqing's Old Sichuan Restaurant even displayed its exquisitely prepared "Beef in Lantern Shadow" in a small glass case lit with a lamp. At night, the sight resembled folk-style cowhide shadow puppets, drawing crowds of onlookers and diners alike. From then on, the fame of "Beef in Lantern Shadow" grew even stronger.

　　 "Beef in Lantern Shadow" features a bright red color, a spicy and dry aroma, thin and translucent slices, and a delicious taste. Nowadays, it is served in many renowned Sichuan restaurants. Daxian in Sichuan also mass-produces canned "Beef in Lantern Shadow," which is sold across the country and well received by food lovers.

　　 Anecdotes & Stories: Beef in Lantern Shadow

　　 Origin: Sichuan

　　 Category: Dish

　　 Preparation Method

　　 Title Preparation Method

　　 【Ingredients】

　　 500g yellow beef, 25g white sugar, 10g ground Sichuan peppercorn, 15g chili powder, 15g salt, 100g cooking wine, 25g five-spice powder, 1g MSG, 15g ginger slices, 10g sesame oil, 500g cooking oil (approximately 150g used).

　　 【Preparation】

　　 (1) Select beef tendon meat from the hind leg, remove the membrane while keeping it clean (do not wash with water), trim the edges, slice it into large, thin pieces, lay them flat and straight on the cutting board, evenly sprinkle with dry-fried salt, roll into a cylinder, and air-dry until the beef turns a fresh red color (about 14 hours in summer, 3–4 days in winter).

　　 (2) Place the dried beef slices in a drying oven, spread them out on a wire rack, and bake with charcoal fire for about 15 minutes until the slices are dried. Then steam them in a steamer for about 30 minutes, remove, cut into 4cm long and 2.5cm wide slices, then steam again for about 1.5 hours and remove.

　　 (3) Heat cooking oil in a wok until 70% hot, add ginger slices to release fragrance, then remove. When the oil temperature drops to 30% hot, switch to low heat, add the beef slices and slowly fry until cooked through. Then pour off about two-thirds of the oil, add cooking wine and stir well, followed by chili, Sichuan peppercorn powder, sugar, MSG, five-spice powder. Toss everything evenly, remove from heat, let cool, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.