Stir-fried beef with black bean sauce is a classic dish in Chinese cuisine, renowned for its deep, savory flavors and tender, juicy beef. This recipe combines velvety beef slices with the robust taste of fermented black beans, fresh vegetables, and a rich sauce, making it a quick yet satisfying meal for any night of the week. The tender beef is achieved through a Chinese cooking technique called “velveting,” which ensures that every bite of meat is succulent and flavorful.
Ingredients:
For Velveting the Beef:
- 1 pound beef flank steak or beef chuck, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
For the Sauce and Stir-Fry:
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons black bean and garlic sauce (e.g., Lee Kum Kee)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for stir-frying)
- 2/3 cup onion, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces
- 1 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water)
Instructions:
Step 1: Velvet the Beef
- In a bowl, combine the sliced beef with baking soda and water.
- Allow it to rest for 15 minutes to help tenderize the meat.
- After 15 minutes, rinse the beef thoroughly under cold water to remove the baking soda. Drain well.
- Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine to the beef.
- Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix the beef or chicken stock with black bean and garlic sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground white pepper.
- Set aside.
Step 3: Stir-Fry the Vegetables
- In a wok or large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Step 4: Stir-Fry the Beef
- In the same wok, add an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat it up.
- Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to brown.
- Push the beef to the side of the wok and add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan.
- Return the cooked vegetables to the wok, along with the snow peas.
Step 5: Add the Sauce
- Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and vegetables.
- Stir everything together.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the wok and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the beef and vegetables evenly, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Serve
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove the wok from heat and serve the beef with black bean sauce hot over steamed rice or noodles.
Conclusion:
This stir-fried beef with black bean sauce and snow peas is an easy yet flavorful dish that highlights the savory taste of fermented black beans, complemented by fresh vegetables. The velveting technique ensures the beef remains tender, while the sauce ties everything together for a restaurant-quality meal made right at home. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner that doesn’t compromise on flavor.
Stir-Fried Beef with Black Bean Sauce and Snow Peas
A quick and flavorful stir-fry featuring velvetytender beef slices, savory black bean sauce, and crisp vegetables. This classicChinese dish is perfect for any occasion and pairs beautifully with steamedrice.
Ingredients
For Velveting the Beef:
- 1 pound beef flank steak or beef chuck thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
For the Sauce and Stir-Fry:
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons black bean and garlic sauce e.g., Lee Kum Kee
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir-frying
- 2/3 cup onion cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces
- 1 cup red bell pepper cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup snow peas trimmed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Step 1: Velvet the Beef
- In a bowl, combine the sliced beef with baking soda and water.
- Allow it to rest for 15 minutes to help tenderize the meat.
- After 15 minutes, rinse the beef thoroughly under cold water to remove the baking soda. Drain well.
- Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine to the beef.
- Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix the beef or chicken stock with black bean and garlic sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground white pepper.
- Set aside.
Step 3: Stir-Fry the Vegetables
- In a wok or large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Step 4: Stir-Fry the Beef
- In the same wok, add an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat it up.
- Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to brown.
- Push the beef to the side of the wok and add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan.
- Return the cooked vegetables to the wok, along with the snow peas.
Step 5: Add the Sauce
- Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and vegetables.
- Stir everything together.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the wok and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the beef and vegetables evenly, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Serve
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove the wok from heat and serve the beef with black bean sauce hot over steamed rice or noodles.