Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

20-minute quick Chinese-style beef stir-fried with black pepper is a very “Chinese”-style stir-frying recipe using essential ingredients, including beef, onion, green peppers, and ground black pepper.

Black pepper sauce and beef have been the best partners worldwide. But the Chinese style is a super tender stir-frying with a thick sauce. Firstly, we will marinate beef with the basic flavors and a layer of starch, which will protect the beef from being overcooked in stir-frying, and make super tender fried beef strips.

The same as other black pepper recipes, I match it with red onion and fresh peppers.

Step-by-step instructions

How to Marinating beef for stir-frying

Marinating plays a vital role in tender meat. Beef absorbs the taste and flavors in the marinating process, giving it a foundational flavor (底味). Meanwhile starch is applied in order to keep the juice inside by forming a protecting shell. Lastly, vegetable oil is used as a protective agent against cornstarch and prevents them from sticking together or sticking to the bottom of the work.

Cut the beef steak into 1cm wide strips. Marinate with all the marinating seasonings including soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, sugar, Chinese cooking wine and cornstarch for 15 minutes. Mix in sesame oil just before start frying. 

Cook’s Note

1. The vegetable oil should be mixed just before frying. The cold oil will protect our sauces and starch.
2. After spreading the beef strips to the pan, let them stay for around 5-6 seconds until the starch finish gelatinization, otherwise the marinating tissues might be separated from the meat. In addition, be gentle and quick in the whole process.
3. If you use a larger pan, you may need more oil to cover the bottom. After frying the beef strips, transfer the extra oil out and leave any around 1 tablespoon of oil in to fry the onion and peppers.

Instructions

Cut the beef steak into 1cm wide strips. Marinate with all the marinating seasonings except sesame oil for 15 minutes. Then add sesame oil just before frying.

Add cooking oil in a large pan until the oil can evenly cover the bottom of the pan. spread the beef strips in. Let them stay for around 5 to 6 seconds and gently stir them several times until the beef strips change color. Transfer the beef out and leave around 1 tablespoon of the oil in.

Fry garlic until aromatic. Fry green peppers and red onion until slightly soft (do not kill them). Add a small pinch of salt.

Return beef strips back. Mix well. Spread freshly ground black pepper.Serve hot with noodles or steamed rice.

• 200 g beef steak ,cut into small strips

Marinating

• 1.5 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine ,Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil or vegetable cooking oil for coating

Side Ingredients

• 3 vegetable cooking oil ,as needed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 fresh green peppers ,remove the seeds and finely shredded
• 1/4 red onion ,shredded
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• Cut the beef steak into 1cm wide strips. Marinate with all the marinating seasonings including soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, sugar, Chinese cooking wine and cornstarch for 15 minutes.

• Then mix with vegetable cooking oil to coat.

• Add cooking oil in a large pan until the oil can evenly cover the bottom of the pan. spread the beef strips in. Let them stay for around 5 to 6 seconds and gently stir them several times until the beef strips change color. Transfer the beef out and leave around 1 tablespoon of the oil in.

• Fry garlic until aromatic. Fry green peppers and red onion until slightly soft (do not kill them). Add a small pinch of salt. Return beef strips back. Mix well. Spread freshly ground black pepper.

• Serve hot with noodles or steamed rice.

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1.7mg