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Black pepper beef stir fry with onions and green peppers in a carbon steel wok

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

Cantonese restaurant style black pepper beef, with the pepper toasted in the oil so it actually tastes of something.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 390
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 700 g flank steak about 1.5 lb, sliced thin against the grain
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce for the marinade
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch for the marinade
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed plus 1 tsp ground, do not use fine pre-ground only
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce for the sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 large onion cut into petals
  • 1 large green bell pepper cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced

Method
 

  1. Slice the flank steak thin against the grain, no thicker than 5mm. Toss with the soy sauce, cornstarch, and Shaoxing wine. Let it sit 10 minutes while you cut the vegetables.
  2. Stir the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and water together for the sauce.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over the highest heat your stove has, until it just starts to smoke. Lay the beef in a single layer and leave it alone for 60 seconds before stirring. Cook 2 minutes total, until browned but not quite cooked through, then scoop it out.
  4. Add the remaining oil, then the crushed peppercorns. Toast them in the oil for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant. This step is the whole dish.
  5. Add the onion and bell pepper. Stir fry 2 minutes, keeping some crunch. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
  6. Return the beef with any juices, pour in the sauce, and toss for about a minute until everything is glossy and the beef is just cooked. Serve immediately over rice.