Advance Preparation.  Chill the flank steak in the freezer for 30 minutes (an icy, but not frozen, steak is easier to cut).   Cut the meat lengthwise into thirds.  Then cut the meat into very thin strips.  You end up with beef slices about 1/4" thick and 2" long.  Combine the water and soda in a large bowl and stir until blended.  Add the sliced meat to the bowl and refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 hour.  If you can't find dried orange peel at an oriental market, you can make it.  Remove the peel from an orange using a potato peeler.  Try to get only the orange part (eliminate as much of the white pith as possible).  Cut the peel into strips, arrange on a baking sheet, and dry in a 200-degree oven for about 1 hour.

Just Before Cooking.  Set up the Egg Bowl, Meat Batter Bowl, Vegetable Bowl and Seasonings Bowl.  Rinse the beef under cold running water.  Drain, pat dry, and return to a bowl.  Pour the Egg Bowl into a food processor and process for 45 seconds.  Pour the egg mixture into the meat bowl and stir to coat the meat.  Add the Meat Batter Bowl  and stir to blend.  

Cooking.  Heat the oil in a wok until it is almost smoking and add the beef.  Fry for about 45 seconds, stirring constantly.  Remove the meat and allow it to drain briefly.  Return the beef to the wok and fry for 15 seconds.  Drain once more.  Return the meat to the hot oil a third time and fry for 15 seconds.  Drain the meat again and set aside.  Drain the oil from the wok, reserving about 2 Tbsp.  Add the dried chili peppers to the oil over high heat.  Stir the peppers in the oil until they are almost blackened (about 30 seconds).  Remove the peppers and discard.  Give the Seasonings Bowl a quick stir to get the solids suspended in the liquid.  Add the Vegetable Bowl to the wok and stir.  Add the beef and stir for 10 seconds.  Add the Seasonings Bowl and stir until the sauce thickens and the meat is well coated (about 15 seconds).

Our comments:  This is our top beef dish!  If we had six Chinese dishes that tasted this good we could stop experimenting and just eat (or move on to the next country).  We are one-sixth of the way there.