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Glossy beef and vegetables covered in sauce on a white plate

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry (黑椒牛肉)

Tender Chinese black pepper beef stir fry covered in glossy and flavourful black pepper sauce with sweet and crisp fresh capsicums and onions! Perfect healthy stir fry for those busy weeknights. Serve with rice.
4.75 from 4 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinate Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 327kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1 lb) beef cut into bite-sized cubes (note 1)
  • ½ red capsicum aka red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized squares
  • ½ green capsicum aka green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized squares
  • 1 brown onion cut into bite-sized squares
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 spring onions cut into 4cm/1.5 inch lengths
  • 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil eg. canola, sunflower or light olive oil

Beef Marinade

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine substitute: clear rice wine, stock or water
  • 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil eg. canola, sunflower or light olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour aka cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger minced

Black Pepper Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon cornflour aka cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup cold water

Instructions

Marinate beef

  • In a large bowl, combine beef with beef marinade ingredients. Mix well and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Make black pepper sauce

  • In a medium-sized bowl, combine all black pepper sauce ingredients. Mix well until the cornflour has dissolved. Set aside.

Make black pepper beef

  • Add oil to a large, preheated wok or frying pan over high heat. Swirl the wok in a circular motion until well coated with oil.
  • Once the wok is very hot (note 2), add marinated beef cubes and spread it out into a single layer. Sizzle over high heat for ~45 seconds without flipping. So no touching! With a spatula, flip the beef over and sizzle the other side for 45 seconds. Then, remove the beef into a bowl and set aside. (note 3)
  • In the same wok (no need to wash), add capsicums, onion and garlic. Stir fry over high heat for ~2 minutes. Add beef back into the wok along with all the juices. Stir fry for about 15 seconds. (note 4)
  • With a small spoon, mix the black pepper sauce again (the cornflour would have settled to the bottom of the bowl). Pour the sauce into the wok and add spring onions. Stir fry for a final 30 seconds until the sauce is glossy and thick.

Video

Notes

1. Beef to use - any steak cut will work, depending on your budget. Think rump, flank, scotch, porterhouse, chuck, etc. Since the velveting method is used, budget cuts are perfect to use (for the wallet and taste!) I used rump steak when shooting for this recipe. Alternatively, many supermarkets and butchers now sell stir fry beef strips - basically beef cut into strips for your convenience.
2. It's all about that 'wok hei'! Wok hei means breath of wok - a vital technique in Chinese cooking. It's what turns a simple prawn and egg fried rice into something so delicious with depth and complexity. So start with a very hot wok before you add anything to it. If you don't hear that loud sizzling sound as soon as the beef touches the wok then it's not hot enough! High heat = sizzling sound = flavour!
3. Do not disturb the beef whilst it's in the wok sizzling. Constantly stirring makes meat release its juices from all sides and thus stopping the caramelisation from forming. The dish will end up tasting a little flat without a good caramelisation.
4. Move quickly. After 2 minutes of stir-frying the capsicums and onions, the vegetables may still seem a bit too raw. Don't worry, it'll be just right by the time you plate it up so avoid overcooking it as it'll lose that sweet crispness.
Storage. Store in airtight containers and lasts up to 4 days in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer. However, like many stir fries, this Chinese black pepper beef tastes best on the day, as soon as it's out of the wok!
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 917mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Iron: 3mg