Beef Stir-Fry with Bell Peppers and Black Pepper Sauce for Two
By Steve DunnPublished on January 26, 2016
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons water ⅛ teaspoon baking soda ½ pound flank steak, trimmed, cut into 2- to 2 ½ inch strips with grain, each strip cut crosswise against grain into ¼-inch thick slices1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce 1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch 1 ¼ teaspoons packed light brown sugar ½ tablespoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon rice vinegar ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 4 teaspoons vegetable oil ½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips½ green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips3 scallions, white parts sliced thin on bias, green parts cut into 2-inch pieces2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Before You Begin
The vegetables and aromatics can be prepared while the beef is marinating. Serve with steamed white rice.
Instructions
- Combine 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Whisk ½ tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sherry, ¾ teaspoon cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon sugar together in small bowl. Add soy sauce mixture to beef, stir to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons water, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, remaining ¾ teaspoon cornstarch, remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper together in second bowl.
- Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add beef in single layer. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to bowl.
- Return skillet to high heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add bell peppers and scallion greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl with beef.
- Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Return beef and vegetables to skillet and stir to combine.
- Whisk sauce to recombine. Add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 2Ingredients
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ pound flank steak, trimmed, cut into 2- to 2 ½ inch strips with grain, each strip cut crosswise against grain into ¼-inch thick slices
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 ¼ teaspoons packed light brown sugar
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
½ green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
3 scallions, white parts sliced thin on bias, green parts cut into 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ pound flank steak, trimmed, cut into 2- to 2 ½ inch strips with grain, each strip cut crosswise against grain into ¼-inch thick slices
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 ¼ teaspoons packed light brown sugar
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
½ green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
3 scallions, white parts sliced thin on bias, green parts cut into 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ pound flank steak, trimmed, cut into 2- to 2 ½ inch strips with grain, each strip cut crosswise against grain into ¼-inch thick slices
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 ¼ teaspoons packed light brown sugar
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
½ green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
3 scallions, white parts sliced thin on bias, green parts cut into 2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We discovered that in order to produce a stir-fry with velvety, tender beef, we needed to choose the right cut of meat and treat it correctly. Flank steak, cut across the grain into bite-size pieces, delivered great beef flavor and a moderate chew. Then, our combination of meat-tenderizing techniques—soaking the meat briefly in a mild baking soda solution and adding some cornstarch to the marinade before flash-searing it in a very hot pan—finished the job of delivering supertender, high-quality beef stir-fry.
Before You Begin
The vegetables and aromatics can be prepared while the beef is marinating. Serve with steamed white rice.
Instructions
- Combine 2 teaspoons water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Whisk ½ tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sherry, ¾ teaspoon cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon sugar together in small bowl. Add soy sauce mixture to beef, stir to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons water, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, remaining ¾ teaspoon cornstarch, remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper together in second bowl.
- Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add beef in single layer. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to bowl.
- Return skillet to high heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and heat until beginning to smoke. Add bell peppers and scallion greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl with beef.
- Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and add remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Return beef and vegetables to skillet and stir to combine.
- Whisk sauce to recombine. Add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
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