Description
Chinese pepper steak delivers a perfect balance of tender beef and crisp vegetables in a savory sauce. Home cooks can quickly prepare this classic dish with simple ingredients and enjoy a restaurant-quality meal that satisfies hearty appetites.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450 g) flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup beef broth or water
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
Instructions
- Marinate: Thoroughly coat beef slices with soy sauce and cornstarch, allowing flavors to meld for 10-15 minutes while preparing remaining ingredients.
- Sauce Preparation: Whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, black pepper, and cornstarch until smooth and well-integrated.
- Vegetable Sauté: Heat vegetable oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Quickly stir-fry bell peppers and onions until crisp-tender, then transfer to a separate plate.
- Beef Searing: In the same wok, arrange marinated beef in a single layer. Sear without stirring initially to develop a golden-brown crust, then rapidly stir-fry until meat reaches desired doneness.
- Aromatics and Fusion: Add minced garlic and ginger to the beef, stirring continuously to release their fragrant oils. Reintroduce sautéed vegetables to the wok.
- Final Simmer: Pour prepared sauce over the beef and vegetable mixture, stirring thoroughly to ensure complete coating. Allow sauce to thicken and ingredients to harmonize for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve: Immediately transfer the pepper steak to serving plates, accompanied by steamed rice or noodles for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Marinate Masterfully: Let beef sit in soy sauce mixture for 15-30 minutes to enhance tenderness and flavor absorption, avoiding over-marinating which can make meat mushy.
- High Heat Harmony: Use blazing hot wok or skillet to achieve perfect caramelization and prevent meat from steaming instead of searing, creating restaurant-quality color and texture.
- Slice Strategically: Cut beef against the grain into thin, uniform strips ensuring maximum tenderness and quick, even cooking throughout the dish.
- Sauce Consistency Control: Adjust cornstarch quantity based on desired thickness—less for a lighter sauce, more for a thicker coating that clings perfectly to meat and vegetables.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg