Black Pepper Beef

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 55 years 7 months 18 day
• total time: 55 years 7 months 18 day

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) chuck (braising/casserole) steak or oyster blade (flat-iron/butler’s) steak, thinly sliced against the grain (see note 1 for substitutions)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda – not to be confused with baking powder)

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper (see note 2)

3 tbsp oyster sauce (you can substitute with the same amount of light soy sauce, but the flavour will be less intense)

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp white sugar

2 tbsp cooking oil (see note 3)

1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

1 red capsicum (bell pepper), seeded and cut into chunks

1 onion, cut into thick wedges

4 spring onions (scallions), cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) batons

Steamed jasmine rice

Extra freshly cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions

Beef – velveting

Place the beef in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the bicarbonate of soda and use your hands to toss the beef so that it is evenly coated.

Set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Rinse the beef well with cold running tap water, then drain in a colander. Remove any excess water by patting the beef dry with paper towels.

Beef marinade

Put the velveted beef and the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Mix well using tongs so that the beef is evenly coated in the marinade.

Stir-fry sauce

Combine the stir-fry sauce ingredients in another bowl.

Stir-fry

Heat a large, deep, heavy-based pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, then cook the beef in batches for 2–3 minutes until just cooked. Set aside on a plate.

To the same pan, add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds before adding the capsicum and onion. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking (I like them with a little bit of crunch).

Add the spring onion and the stir-fry sauce. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Return the beef to the pan and stir to coat.

Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice and extra cracked black pepper, if desired.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: one pan
• Calories: 380
• Total Fat: 17.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 73.8 mg
• Sodium: 1798.8 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 27.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
• Total Sugars: 4.8 g
• Protein: 28.6 g