Beef Stir-Fry with Bell Peppers and Black Pepper Sauce

Prepare all ingredients ahead of time as once you start frying, it goes quickly!

Flank steak is sliced thin and soaked in a baking soda and water solution for 5 minutes, then marinated for 30 minutes in a flavorful sauce.

The beef is given a quick high heat sear and removed to a bowl, then the peppers and green onions are seared until they’re crisp but tender and added to the bowl with the cooked beef. Garlic, the white parts of the green onion and ginger are cooked quickly, then the beef and veg are added back to the hot skillet along with a spicy, peppery Cantonese-style sauce thickened with a little cornstarch.

Despite 2 tsp. black pepper in the sauce, it wasn’t too spicy. A little kick and just right! Serve over white rice.

Recipe

Beef and Marinade:
1 T. water
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 lb. flank steak
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. dry sherry
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. packed light brown sugar

Sauce and Vegetables:
¼ c. water
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. dry sherry
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
1 T. oyster sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
3 T. + 1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, stems and seeds removed and sliced into 1/4″-wide strips
1 green bell pepper, stems and seeds removed and sliced into 1/4″-wide strips
6 scallions, white parts sliced thinly on the bias and set aside, then green parts cut into 2″ pieces and added to the sliced peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. grated fresh ginger

Trim flank steak and slice into 2-1/2″ strips going with the grain; then cut each strip crosswise on the bias (against the grain) into 1/4″-thick slices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 T. water and 1/4 tsp. baking soda. Add the sliced beef and toss until coated. Allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 T. soy sauce, 1 T. sherry, 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp. brown sugar. Add this sauce mixture to the beef, tossing to coat, and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

In a second small bowl, add 1/4 c. water, 2 T. soy sauce, 2 T. sherry, 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch, 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1 T. oyster sauce, 2 tsp. vinegar, 1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil, and 2 tsp. ground black pepper. Whisk until combined. This sauce will be added at the end of cooking.

Set a 12″ nonstick skillet over high heat and preheat 2 tsp. vegetable oil  until it just begins to smoke. Add half of beef in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Flip and continue to cook for 1 more minute until spotty brown on both sides. Empty cooked beef into a large clean bowl. Repeat this step with remaining beef and 2 tsp. vegetable oil.

Return skillet to high heat and add 2 tsp. vegetable oil. Preheat until the oil just beginning to smoke. Add bell peppers and scallion greens. Cook for 4 minutes until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Empty cooked vegetables to the bowl with the beef.

Reduce burner to medium-high heat and return skillet to burner. Add 4 tsp. vegetable oil, scallion whites, garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture becomes lightly browned.

Return beef and vegetables to the skillet with the scallion whites, garlic and ginger, and stir to combine.

Whisk the sauce to recombine the ingredients and add to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30-60 seconds until the sauce has thickened. Serve over white rice.