Pepper Steak
Enjoy a quick and easy restaurant-quality dinner with rice or noodles in 15 minutes with this delicious, homemade brown stir-fry sauce that blends succulent, juicy sirloin with bell peppers!
Yield: 6
Materials
- 1.2 lb beef steak flank skirt or flap
For the Marinade
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce dark or reduced-sodium; use tamari/coconut aminos if gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon sugar white brown, raw cane, honey, sugar substitute (adjust the amount to taste)
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup water or low-sodium beef and/or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce dark light (or a mix of the two), or reduced-sodium; use tamari/coconut aminos if gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar white brown, raw cane, honey, sugar substitute (adjust the amount to taste)
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper freshly ground
For the Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Stir Fry
- 3 tablespoon oil peanut rice bran, or other neutral oil; divided
- 1 lb bell peppers 3 can be same or different color
- 5.3 oz onion 2 small
- 2 cloves garlic medium
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
Instructions
- Chef's Tip: It might be simpler to slice the meat into neat strips if it has been frozen for 30 minutes beforehand.
- Cut the steak into ¼-inch-thick strips against the grain, then add the baking soda to a bowl and work the soda into the flesh for a minute.
- Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch, cover, and put away to combine the other marinade ingredients. You may marinate it on the countertop for half an hour or cook it right away.
- After removing the seeds and cores, finely slice the bell peppers and onion (chopped from pole to pole) into ¼-inch pieces.
- Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic as well.
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients (except from the cornstarch slurry components), whisk to combine, and put aside.
- Mix the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small, separate bowl until there are no lumps.
- Swirl one tablespoon of oil into a wok or big, high-sided pan over high heat until it begins to smoke moderately.
- Add half of the meat to the pan and cook for approximately a minute, without moving, until well-seared. Then, sauté for a further minute or so, or until the food is barely cooked through with a few pink spots. Move it into a basin.
- After using paper towels to clean the wok, repeat the process with the leftover meat and another tablespoon of oil.
- After the entire beef is cooked and put aside, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the onion and peppers for one to two minutes, or until they are crisp-tender and faintly browned in places.
- Stir in the minced ginger and garlic, then add the beef back to the wok and stir-fry it for 30 seconds.
- Stir-fry the beef for 30 seconds or until the sauce thickens and the meat is cooked through, adding the bowl of sauce ingredients and a little amount of cornstarch slurry if needed.
- Increase the amount of cornstarch slurry in the sauce if it's not thick enough. Add more water (or beef broth) if it's too thick.
- Take off the heat and serve with sesame seeds on top.
Notes
- Cut against the grain to achieve incredibly soft, non-tough slices.
- For really tender beef, try the baking soda procedure or let it marinade for at least half an hour.
- Make sure the pan is HOT so that the meat sears fast and seals in the juices.
- Cook in groups: Overcrowding the pan will cause the meat to steam instead than sear, giving it a lovely brown crust.
- Modify the sauce: To taste, adjust the amount of any sauce components.
- Include extra vegetables: Beef and peppers are often served with bean sprouts. On the other hand, pre-sauteed mushrooms, shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, baby corn, sugar snap peas, and carrots can also be used.
After letting the leftovers cool, keep them in the freezer for up to three months or in the refrigerator for three to four days when stored in an airtight container.
Before reheating it on the stove at low heat or in the microwave at 50%, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator. In 30-second intervals, microwave, stirring in between.