1 Cut your beef into thin slices against the grain. Marinate this with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, oil, baking soda, and white pepper. Mix gently to coat the beef. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients together until smooth. You may also prepare the bell peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger at this stage.
3 Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Briefly fry the marinated beef on all sides until browned all over (you may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding). Once seared, set the beef aside.
4 In the same pan, fry the onions and bell peppers for 2-3 minutes until lightly softened. Add in the garlic and ginger, and continue to stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
5 Pour in the prepared sauce. Let simmer and reduce for about 1 minute until thickened slightly. Add back in the beef and pour in the sesame oil. Stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce coats and clings to the beef and vegetables.
6 Serve warm with rice and veggies. Enjoy!
Notes
• 1. The most tender cuts I like to go for include rib eye or sirloin. You can also use flank, skirt, or hanger.
For different protein options, go for thinly-sliced chicken or pork for this recipe.
• 2. You can also use dry sherry, dry white wine, or cooking sake.
• 3. Since the main flavor profile of this dish is black pepper, l'd highly recommend you use freshly-ground black pepper for this recipe. Pre-ground works, no doubt (and it would still be delicious), though the flavor and aroma won't be as intense as fresh.
• 4. By chicken powder, I'm referring to the instant chicken stock/broth mix. It's PACKED with umami, which is why I add it to almost all my stir fry sauces. You can replace this with equal parts mushroom powder or beef