Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry (黑椒牛柳)

Make this truly authentic Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry recipe in just 15 minutes! Ultra tender steak slices cooked to juicy perfection in an aromatic mouth-warming pepper sauce. 

It’s so easy to make, you can make it tonight!

The most warming side dish

I don’t often think of big and bold flavours when I cook something in less than 20 minutes. But this Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry hits ALL the right notes, from succulent meat to crunchy bell peppers in only 15 minutes!

And that’s not all!

Every inch of this dish is infused with a gorgeous black pepper sauce that gently heats up in your mouth. The moist slices are crowned with bell peppers that are perfectly soft on the inside and satisfyingly crisp on the outside.

Nothing is more comforting than scooping into warm rice topped with a stir fry straight out of the wok. This is what your dinner could look like tonight: a fresh rice bed under meat glistening with sauce!

Which cut do I use for stir frying?

Stir frying Black Pepper Beef involves cooking over intense heat for a short time. To make the best out of this situation, any protein used needs to be tender and free of bones so it can be cooked quickly.

Ideal cuts for stir fries include:

• Sirloin
• Flank
• Skirt
• Scotch
• Tenderloin
• Boneless short ribs

I suggest to stay clear of ribs and tails unless you plan to take the bones off!

How do you make beef strips tender?

The first step is to choose a tender cut, but if that’s not available then there are certainly ways to make meat more tender. You can:

• Physically tenderise the protein. This is a method for tenderising meat quickly and perfect for tougher cuts like chuck and blade steaks. Grab your meat mallet and give the protein a good few thumps!
• Marinate the meat. Using an acid such as lemon/lime juice, yoghurt, buttermilk or vinegar can help to quicken the cooking process because it breaks down proteins and partially precooks the meat. Just make sure not to leave it in the acid for too long!
• Use salt. Cover the meat in salt to draw out moisture and break down proteins without compromising on the flavour. Give it a quick rinse and pat dry, then you’re ready to go.
• Slicing against the grain. Grandma and Mum always remind me of this step before any cutting. The trick is to find the direction the fibres are going in, then turn the knife to cut across them. This will break the fibres up into shorter lengths and make it easier to chew. 
• Velveting the meat. This is a popular method used in Chinese restaurants. It involves marinating the slices in a corn starch slurry.

How Chinese restaurants get their beef so tender

I worked in a local family-run Chinese restaurant as a waitress for 3 years during my earliest days at university.

Their secret to a beautifully silky stir fry was velveting the meat, which involved marinating the slices in corn starch and bicarb (baking soda) for at least 30 minutes.

The starch has a way of sealing in juices along with any added seasoning so that the meat remains tender, moist and packed with flavour.

Using bicarb changes the changes the acidity and pH levels in the meat so that the outer layer breaks down.

I had often walked into the kitchen to see meat slices soaking in large round tubs in a corn starch/bicarb marinade. The chef would then rinse the marinade away and dry off any excess water before stir frying. 

That is the secret to tender restaurant-quality meat.

So if silken beef is what you’re after, then velveting is a must!

Why this recipe works

• Tenderising techniques are used to ensure every slice remains silky from start to finish.
• Soaking the meat in water helps to remove excess blood annd odors.
• Marinating with a variety of sauces means your Black Pepper Beef will have incredible flavor in every bite!

What you’ll need

For the marinade

About the sauces

You’ll find all of the sauces available in Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find corn starch, it can be substituted with potato starch.

For the stir fry

About the meat

Go for a cut that doesn’t have too much fat but also isn’t too lean. You want each piece to have a beefy flavor and texture.

How to make this recipe

Start by slicing the beef into 5 mm (0.2″) thick slices. Make sure to cut against the grain to avoid a chewy piece of meat.

Tip: If you look at the picture above, you can see the knife is perpendicular to the lines running across from left to right. That’s the direction against the grain.

Soak the slices in cold water for 1 minute to remove the blood then squeeze all the water out.

Marinate the beef with the white pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, sugar and chicken bouillon powder.

Mix in well until it is sticky to the touch. There should also be no excess water in the bowl.

Pour in the egg white and mix then add the corn starch and stir until combined. 

Add in the oil and mix until incorporated. This will prevent the beef slices from sticking to each other when cooking.

Add 5 tbsp oil into a hot wok and fry the beef until roughly 80% cooked. You will be tossing it in with the vegetables later, so there’s no need to overcook it.

Transfer the beef onto a plate.

Replace the wok with 2 tbsp new oil (or reuse the same one) and cook the garlic, onion, ginger and bell peppers for 2 minutes or until fragrant then mix in the black pepper paste.

Pour the cooked beef in and stir fry for another 2 minutes, then plate.

Serve immediately with rice or noodles!

Tips for the best results

• Marinate the protein for at least 20 minutes or overnight. For the deepest flavor, make sure to give it time to soak in the sauce to its core.
• Take the beef out at least 20 minutes prior to cooking for it to come back to room temperature. This will ensure each piece is tender because the muscles aren’t tight from the cold.
• Mix the meat in a circular motion for an even marinade.
• Make sure the wok is hot otherwise the beef will release its juices and end up being boiled.

Dive into more delicious Chinese stir fries!

• Crispy Pork Belly Stir Fried with Asian Greens – An exciting family must-have that we cook at least once a fortnight!
• Eggplant and Pork Mince Stir Fry – This is a classic Cantonese recipe where the vegetable soaks up every drop of flavor and becomes the star.
• Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic – Simple, delicious and easy. You’ll love how this can be made in just 15 minutes.
• Stir Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Bean Curd (炒腐乳空心菜) – Another favorite that is made often in our household. Earthy flavors are combined with the cruchy vegetable freshness for the most enjoyable side dish.

Join the family!

This post was originally published on 9/3/20 and updated with tips and FAQs in May 2020.