Easy Eats: Black pepper beef stir fry

Create takeaway flavours at home with this punchy pepper stir-fry.

Kelly GibneyChef
  • prepare
  • cook
  • 4 servings
  • Easy
A shallow bowl containing black pepper beef stir fry atop thick rice noodles.
Caption:This spicy stir-fry is full of sweet and salty flavours.Photo credit:Kelly Gibney

Velveting is a technique in Chinese cooking that results in the trademark incredibly tender meat you’ll find in your favourite dishes. I’ve used a version of that here, coating the sliced steak in some seasonings and a sprinkle of cornflour. Left for 30-60 minutes, this will turn an inexpensive cut of meat wonderfully tender.

Black pepper works brilliantly here. Don’t be intimidated by the quantity. It’s not overpowering. It balances out perfectly with the salty and sweet flavours in the stir fry sauce.

Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

Ingredients

  • 600g rump steak
  • 2 ½ tsp ground black pepper (for the marinade)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce for the marinade)
  • 2 tsp oil (for the marinade)
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornflour (for the marinade)
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce (for the sauce)
  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce (for the sauce)
  • 1/2 cup water (for the sauce)
  • 2 tsp cornflour (for the sauce)
  • 2 Tbsp oil for sautéing
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 2 red capsicums, cores removed and thinly sliced
  • 100g snow peas, trimmed
  • Toasted sesame seeds, for garnishing

Instructions

  1. Slice the steak (across the grain) into thin strips. Sprinkle over the black pepper and add the soy sauce, oil and sugar. Toss well to evenly coat. Sprinkle with the cornflour and toss again to coat. Place in the fridge to tenderize for 30-60 minutes.
  2. To prep the sauce, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornflour and water. Set aside until it’s time to use.
  3. Heat a pan on a high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add half of the meat. Spread it out evenly. Do not move it for 1.5 minutes to allow the pieces to really brown on one side. Toss and cook for 1 more minute before removing from the pan and repeating with the rest of the meat. Set all the meat aside until needed.
  4. Wipe out the pan and add another tablespoon of oil. Keep the heat up high. Cook the onion until starting to brown. Add the sliced capsicum and the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the capsicum is starting to soften. Add the snow peas and cook for another minute.
  5. Add the meat back to pan the along with the sauce (give the sauce a quick stir before adding). Cook for a minute or two until heated through, tossing everything well as the sauce will thicken quickly.
  6. Serve with steamed rice or noodles. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

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