I love stir-fried beef but it’s something my family hardly cooks at home because it’s harder to get beef that’s suitable for stir-fries at the supermarket near my house. But now it’s a lot more convenient to cook beef at home thanks to Aw’s Market! They have a wide variety of beef parts so you will definitely be able to find a suitable cut for your intended dish. And if you’re not sure which part to use for your dish, you can actually ask them for recommendations – it’s part of their customized service!
I wanted to make my favourite beef dish (black pepper beef) and so I got three different cuts of beef from Aw’s Market – ribeye, tenderloin and striploin. Eventually I settled for tenderloin because it’s one of the most tender cuts of beef. Of course, it’s also one of the more expensive cuts so you can settle for cheaper cuts if you prefer (like flank steak, skirt steak etc). One important thing, though, is to make sure you slice the beef into thin slices, and also AGAINST the grain so that it will be tender. If you look closely at the beef, you will see its muscle fibres running from one end to the other. When you cut against the grain that means you need to cut perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibres. Alternatively, you can simply ask Aw’s Market to help you slice the beef before delivering it to you!
Ingredients required are: sliced beef, yellow onions, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic and black pepper sauce (made using oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, black pepper, sugar, cornstarch and water).
I recommend using freshly ground black pepper for best results. If you have black peppercorns, toast them in a wok then pound them into powder using a pestle and mortar. I used store-bought bottled black pepper which isn’t as spicy as freshly ground black pepper. Another thing is if you prefer your black pepper beef to be darker, you can add more dark soy sauce.
Marinate the beef in the sauce for at least 20-30 minutes.
Heat a wok till hot then about 1 tbsp of oil (or more if you prefer). Add garlic and onions and fry till onions are translucent.
Add red and green bell pepper and fry for around 2-3 minutes. Remove the vegetables and set aside.
In the same wok, add another tbsp of oil. Add the beef into the wok (without the sauce as much as possible) and sear the beef over high heat until the exterior is no longer pink (be careful not to overcook the beef!). We leave out the sauce first so that the liquid doesn’t hinder the beef in getting a good char.
Return the vegetables to the wok and add the sauce into the wok. Mix everything well and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Garnish with more black pepper if you prefer more heat.
This is best enjoyed with piping hot white rice! If done right, your beef should be very tender. Remember to cut the beef into thin slices against the grain, and also not to cook the beef for too long. It’s not a very photogenic dish but definitely tastes good!
Black Pepper Beef Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 200 g beef tenderloin/flank steak/ribeye steak sliced
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- ½ yellow onion sliced
- ½ red bell pepper thick strips
- ½ green bell pepper thick strips
SAUCE
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1.50 tsp cornstarch
- 60 ml water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for sauce and marinate beef in sauce for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Heat a wok till hot, then add 1 tbsp of oil. Add garlic and onions and fry till onions are translucent.
- Add red and green bell pepper and fry for around 2-3 minutes. Remove the vegetables and set aside.
- In the same wok, add another 1 tbsp of oil. Add the beef into the wok, without the sauce as much as possible. Sear beef over high heat until the exterior is no longer pink (be careful not to overcook the beef!). We leave out the sauce first so that the liquid doesn’t hinder the beef in getting a good char.
- Return the vegetables to the wok and add the sauce into the wok. Mix everything well and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve black pepper beef over piping hot rice.
