Beef with Black Pepper
A home-style recipe for Beef with Black Pepper. Serves 3–4, ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless beef (undercut or topside), in thin 5 cm strips
- For the marinade: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cornflour, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 onion, in 3 cm squares
- 1 capsicum (shimla mirch), in 3 cm squares
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1½ tsp black pepper, freshly crushed
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with ½ cup water
Missing something?
- No beef or mutton (gosht)? Use chicken (cook for less time).
- No onion? Use spring onions, or a little onion powder (less depth).
- No capsicum? Use extra cabbage or onion.
- No soy sauce? Use a little vinegar with pepper and extra salt (taste will differ).
- No cornflour? Use rice flour or plain flour (slightly less crisp).
Method
- Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips. Mix with the marinade. If you have time, leave it for 15 minutes; if not, cook it right away.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok on high heat. Stir-fry the beef in two batches for 3–4 minutes each, until browned, then lift it out.
- Add the rest of the oil and the ginger-garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and capsicum and stir-fry for 2 minutes; they should stay crunchy.
- Return the beef. Add the soy sauce, vinegar and black pepper, then the cornflour water. Toss for 1–2 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
Tip: Slightly frozen beef is much easier to slice thinly.