Kitchen Recipe Collection
Black Pepper Beef Stir-fry
A sizzling, deeply savory Cantonese classic. Tender slices of marinated beef wok-tossed with crisp bell peppers and onions in a pungent, peppery dark sauce.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 400g flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped into squares
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped into squares
- 1 yellow onion, chopped into squares
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper (must be freshly cracked)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (for velvetting)
- 3 tbsp oil
Equipment
- Wok
- Sizzling cast-iron platter (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Velvet the Beef
Toss the thinly sliced beef with the baking soda, 1 tbsp water, and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes. This process ('velveting') makes the beef incredibly tender.
- 2
Add Starch
Rinse the beef quickly to remove the baking soda taste, pat dry, then toss with the cornstarch and 1 tbsp of oil.
- 3
Make Sauce
In a bowl, mix the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and coarsely ground black pepper.
- 4
Heat Wok
Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp of oil.
- 5
Sear Beef
Add the beef in a single layer. Sear for 1 minute undisturbed to get a crust, then stir-fry rapidly until 80% cooked. Remove and set aside.
- 6
Fry Veggies
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Toss in the onion and bell peppers. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until slightly blistered but still crunchy.
- 7
Add Garlic
Push the veggies aside, add the minced garlic, and fry for 15 seconds.
- 8
Return Beef
Throw the beef and any accumulated juices back into the wok.
- 9
Add Sauce
Pour the black pepper sauce over everything.
- 10
Final Toss
Toss vigorously over maximum heat for 30 seconds until the sauce coats everything thickly and smells intensely peppery.
- 11
Serve
Serve immediately. In restaurants, this is often poured onto a pre-heated cast-iron platter at the table so it sizzles loudly.
Cooking Tips
- Do not use pre-ground black pepper powder. You must crack whole peppercorns coarsely to get the sharp, biting flavor required for this dish.
Variations
- Black Pepper Chicken: Substitute chicken breast or thigh for the beef, keeping the velvetting process the same.
Nutrition Estimate
350 calories · 26g protein · 12g carbs · 22g fat · 3g fiber per serving
