This Pepper Steak recipe is better than any restaurant version of Chinese pepper steak I’ve had. Full disclosure – I adapted this recipe from the Serious Eats recipe. With such provenance, it’s no surprise that each element of this dish is thoughtfully executed, with fantastic results.
First, the beef. if you don’t typically “velvet” your beef when you’re stir-frying, you should start now. It renders the beef perfectly tender and succulent, with crispy edges. Google’s AI explains the process of “velveting,” as follows –
Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique that tenderizes meat and keeps it moist and silky by marinating it and then briefly poaching or oil-blanching before its final stir-fry. This process creates a protective layer (often cornstarch, egg white) that insulates the protein fibers from high heat, preventing them from seizing, while ingredients like baking soda or salt help break down tough muscle fibers for a “velvety” texture.
The velveting process that I outline in this recipe is very prescriptive, and a bit different from the AI description, but I love the results. The most important thing to remember is that after the brief slathering of baking soda, you must rinse the beef and pat it dry. If you don’t, you’ll taste the tang of the baking soda, which ruins what is otherwise an exquisite dish.
Then, the veg. It’s important to stir-fry the peppers and onions until they’re just slightly beyond crisp tender. They’re most flavorful when they still have a bit of bite.
Finally, the sauce. This mellow sauce is much less pungent that the stir-fry sauce I typically rely on. This dish really is all about the peppers and the steak, and a more assertive sauce would be distracting. This sauce is silky and luxurious, but it doesn’t need your attention. This sauce is a background note that ties the dish together.
Succulent beef and perfectly crunchy peppers, cloaked in a gently luxurious sauce, served with white or brown rice and a cup of green tea. It’s a perfect meal. And Pepper Steak is as beautiful as it it satisfying.
We love stir-fry. Our wok is sizzling on a regular basis, and this recipe for Pepper Steak is probably our favorite. If you’re interested in exploring other inspired stir-fry recipes, check out my Stir-Fry Variations page and/or my Stir-Fry on Rotation post.
Pepper Steak
Ingredients
BEEF
- 1 pound steak
- ¼ t baking soda
- 1 T tamari
- 1 t cornstarch
- 1 T dry white wine
- 1 t sesame oil
VEG
- 2 green bell peppers
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2 t finely minced fresh ginger
- 3 scallions
SAUCE
- 3 T soy sauce
- 2 T cornstarch
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 T sesame oil
- 1 T sugar
- ½ t ground black pepper
OTHER
- 4 T grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Trim and velvet the beef – Trim the beef into ½ inch strips. Coat the beef with ¼ t baking soda and a bit of water, and let rest for 15 minutes to denature the proteins. Rinse the beef (to remove the metallic taste of the baking soda – this is important!), and pat it dry. Then coat the beef strips with 1 T of tamari and 1 t cornstarch. Gently mix well until the cornstarch is no longer visible, then fold in 1 T wine and 1 t sesame oil. Set aside in the fridge for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Prep the veg (Mise en Place) – Destem and core the peppers. Slice into 1½ to 2-inch planks. Peel and slice the onion into large pieces, about the same size as the peppers. Combine peppers and onions in a bowl and set aside. Peel and mince the garlic. Grate the ginger on a rasp. Trim and thinly slice the scallions. Combine garlic, ginger, and scallion in a bowl and set aside.
- Make the stir-fry sauce – Combine 3 T soy sauce with 2 T cornstarch, and stir with a fork to form a slurry. Add ⅓ cup wine, ⅓ cup chicken stock, 1 T sesame oil, 1 T sugar, and ½ t pepper. Set aside.
- Stir-fry in batches – When ready to cook, heat 1 T oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add half of the beef and cook without moving until well seared, about 1 minute. Continue cooking while stirring and tossing until lightly cooked but still pink in spots, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and remaining beef, adding beef to the same bowl. Wipe out wok. Repeat with 1 more T oil and half of peppers and onions. Transfer to the bowl with beef. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining peppers and onions.
- Finish – Return wok to high heat until smoking. Return the beef, peppers, and onions to the wok and add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook, tossing and stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sauce and cook, tossing and stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Serve right away with rice.
INGREDIENT NOTES:
I buy fresh ginger in bulk from BJs. When I get it home, I cut it into knobs (i.e., thumb-sized chunks) and stash them in the freezer in a Ziploc bag. Whenever I’m working on a recipe that calls for fresh ginger, I just reach in and pull out what I need. It thaws quickly, ready for mincing or grating within about five minutes, and it tastes as bright and fresh as if it had never been frozen.
One last thing – 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper may sound like a lot, but if you click through to the Serious Eats recipe you’ll see that Kenji’s recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of pepper! The amount of pepper is “hotly” discussed in the comments following the recipe. I have tried it with 1 T of pepper, of course, and in my estimation that much pepper ruins the dish. But the pepper is important! Don’t leave it out!
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