Tender slices of beef stir-fried with fermented black beans, garlic, onion and colourful peppers in a savoury, slightly sweet sauce. The beef is marinated before cooking to help keep it tender, while the black beans add a rich, fermented flavour to the dish.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2
Cuisine: Chinese
Course: Main Dish
Tags: Beef Recipes · Stir-Fry · Black Bean · Quick & Easy
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 300g beef, thinly sliced
- 20g fermented black beans
- 20ml hot water
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ green pepper
- ¼ red pepper
- ½ small white onion
- Oil, for stir-frying
For the Marinade
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
For the Seasoning Sauce
- 100ml cold water
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
For the Cornstarch Mix
- 1½ tsp cornstarch
- 50ml water
Method
1. Rehydrate the black beans
Place the fermented black beans in a small bowl and pour over 20ml hot water.
Leave to soak while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Prepare the seasoning sauce
Add the cold water, dark soy sauce, sugar and light soy sauce to a bowl.
Mix well and set aside.
3. Marinate the beef
Place the sliced beef in a bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and sugar.
Mix well to coat the beef evenly. Cover and leave to marinate for 15–20 minutes.
4. Prepare the vegetables
Cut the onion, green pepper and red pepper into large pieces, approximately 1½ inches in size.
Finely chop the garlic.
5. Fry the black beans and garlic
Heat a little oil in a hot wok or large frying pan.
Add the chopped garlic and drained black beans. Stir-fry for approximately 1 minute, until fragrant.
Be careful not to overcook the black beans, as this can make the sauce taste bitter.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
6. Stir-fry the beef
Add a little more oil to the pan. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, or until cooked.
Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
7. Cook the vegetables
Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the onion and peppers.
Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but still retain a little crunch.
Return the garlic and black bean mixture to the pan.
Pour in the seasoning sauce and stir-fry for approximately 1 minute.
8. Combine and thicken
Return the cooked beef to the pan and mix well with the vegetables and sauce.
Stir the cornstarch and water mixture again, then slowly pour it into the pan while stirring continuously.
Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and coats the beef and vegetables.
9. Serve
Transfer the black bean beef to a serving dish and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice or your favourite rice.
Notes
- Keep the beef tender: Don't skip the 15–20 minute marinade. The bicarbonate of soda helps tenderise the beef.
- Don't overcook the black beans: Fry them only briefly with the garlic. Overcooking can make their flavour bitter.
- Keep the vegetables crunchy: Avoid overcooking the peppers and onion so they retain some texture.
- Add the cornstarch gradually: Stir the mixture before adding it, as the cornstarch settles quickly in the water.
- Serving suggestion: Serve with steamed jasmine rice to soak up the savoury black bean sauce.
