Black Pepper Beef is a classic East-meets-West dish. The beef is tender and juicy, coated in a rich black pepper sauce with bell peppers and onion. It’s savory, slightly spicy, and perfect with steamed rice. With the right marinating technique, you can make restaurant-quality beef at home.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 300g beef tenderloin (sliced thinly against the grain)
· 1 green bell pepper (cut into chunks)
· 1 red bell pepper (cut into chunks)
· 1/2 onion (cut into chunks)
🌴 Aromatics:
· 3-4 cloves minced garlic
· A small piece of minced ginger
· 1 tbsp cornstarch (for marinating)
· 1/2 egg white (for marinating)
🌴 Seasonings:
· 1 tbsp crushed black pepper (about 15g, the soul of the dish)
· 2 tbsp light soy sauce (about 20ml)
· 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (about 5ml, for color)
· 1 tbsp oyster sauce (about 10ml)
· A pinch of sugar (to enhance flavor)
· 1 tbsp cooking wine (about 10ml, for marinating)
· Cooking oil, as needed
🌴 Instructions:
- Marinate the Beef
Combine the beef strips with light soy sauce, cooking wine, white pepper, cornstarch, and egg white. Mix well, then add cooking oil to lock in the moisture. Marinate for 15 minutes. ⚠️ Note: Never skip the oil; it’s the key to tender beef that doesn’t stick to the pan. I’ve tried it without oil, and the beef turned out tough and clumped together. - Stir-fry the Beef
Heat oil in a pan. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry over high heat until it changes color. Remove immediately. ⚠️ Note: Never overcook the beef; remove it as soon as it changes color. - Stir-fry the Vegetables
Add a little oil to the pan, sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the green pepper, red pepper, and onion, and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. ⚠️ Note: Don’t overcook the veggies; keep them crisp. - Combine and Serve
Turn to high heat, add the beef, crushed black pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry quickly to coat the beef with the sauce. Serve. ⚠️ Note: Don’t skip the black pepper; it’s the soul of this dish. I’ve tried it without, and the flavor was completely off.
💡 More Tender and Flavorful Beef Dishes:
If you enjoy this black pepper beef, you should also try my [Beef and Broccoli] for another incredibly savory and satisfying dish.
Want to explore more? Check out my full [Home-style Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
The key to Black Pepper Beef is “tender beef, rich black pepper flavor.” Marinate the beef with cornstarch and egg white, and finish with a spoonful of oil. Stir-fry over high heat, and remove the beef as soon as it changes color. Don’t skip the black pepper.
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