Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Technique is the secret
Q. My husband and I loved the crispy Szechuan beef at a Chinese restaurant in Clearwater in the 1980s. Due to road expansion it was forced to close. Despite living in other cities since then we had never found another restaurant that served a similar dish. It was crispy on the outside with tender beef inside. The spicy sauce did not alter the crispy texture.
And then we found Uncle Tai’s Crispy Beef at Town Center Circle in Boca Raton. We love the crispy texture and tender beef inside. Their menu indicates the dish is spicy. We prefer it extra spicy and Uncle Tai’s will accommodate us.
I assume the technique involves double frying. I would love to learn their recipe and techniques for the beef and their sauce. We hope you can help! — Cheryl Kayes, Boca Raton
A.
Uncle Tai’s (5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561-368-8806, uncletais.com) just celebrated an impressive 30-year run in Boca. In 1979 owner Howard (Chi Hwa) Tai opened his first restaurant in Houston. A Dallas location followed before the Uncle Tai’s launched in Boca Raton in 1987 and then Atlanta in the early ’90s. The business is a family affair with sons James (Chen Hwa) in the kitchen and Andy (Foo Hwa) and Jeff (Chiang Hwa) overseeing operations of Uncle Tai’s Texas restaurants while Howard manages Boca Raton.
Tai has established himself as a mainstay of high-end Hunan cuisine among the vast array on mediocre Chinese dining options in the area. He built his empire and reputation on a commitment to maintaining quality and integrity of the food, presentation and attentive service without compromising.
Uncle Tai’s Crispy beef has been a longtime fan favorite at this Boca landmark. You’ll find it listed on the menu under Specialties, among a dozen others.
Cheryl, you were on the right track to Uncle Tai’s technique. His secret isn’t double frying, it’s triple frying. According to Tai, “This process makes the meat crisp on the outside but retains its juiciness within.”
Q. I’ve been craving peanut butter brownies since I had them at a party recently. When I try to make them the filling gets dry and grainy. Do you have a recipe you can share? — Rebecca Flynn, Delray Beach
A.
This recipe request seems to coincide every few years with football season. Trust me when I tell you that you will be the winner if you show up for the game with a tray of these delicious treats. Keep in mind they are treats. And yes, they are a splurge. So if you must cut the calories and fat, cut them in half or make brownie bites in mini cupcake pans. But don’t cut back on ingredients.
Dare I say they’re perfect just the way they are? Peanut butter will get grainy if put directly into the batter. In order for the peanut butter to stay creamy you’ll need to make a filling with butter and confectioners’ sugar. The original recipe calls for semisweet chocolate, but I prefer a dark chocolatey flavor and use bittersweet.