Black Pepper Beef: This recipe is a beauty and a must-try
This little food journey starts with a recommendation from a friend and client who is actually Cambodian – Po. Po is a fellow foodie and was delighted to hear that I had written my cookbook for charity, and of course that that was all in aid of his country folk. Especially as his family was one of those lucky enough to escape Pol Pot when they fled to Australia. So off to Changi Road, we went, to Siamese Cat Restaurant. This has now moved though – take note. In tribute here is my version of their extremely delicious Black Pepper Beef.
- 400g of sirloin steak that I thinly sliced and then bashed with a tenderizing mallet on both sides to soften it (do this to get that melt-in-the-mouth beef).
Marinade the beef in the following for two hours;
- 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce,
- 2-3 tablespoons of oyster sauce,
- 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce,
- 1 tablespoon rice wine,
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil,
- 1 teaspoon sugar, and
- 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch dissolved in a little cold water (this is what will make that sauce glisten, thicken, and therefore stick to the meat).
Whilst that is marinading away prepare the rest of the ingredients:
- 1 green capsicum deseeded and cut into chunks (not too big and not too small – have a look at my picture),
- 1 red onion peeled and cut the same,
- 5 garlic cloves chopped roughly,
- 1″ of young ginger chopped roughly,
- 1 tablespoon of ground black peppercorns (up to you here – less to calm it, more to burn you), and
- I also added 2 Jalapeno peppers deseeded and sliced lengthways purely to give some colour at the end.
OK, this is truly all in the prep as the cooking will take about 5-10 minutes tops!!! Heat a good glug or two of oil in a wok and get it hot. Then add the beef including the marinade and let that sizzle away for a minute or two – you do NOT want to cook the beef thoroughly here, so please two minutes tops on a high heat. Off the heat and remove to a plate for later. Clean your wok with a dry kitchen towel, and get ready for the next phase.
Heat another good glug of oil to hot hot, and stir fry the garlic and ginger until the wonderful aromas start wafting around and they look a little sweated down. Throw in the capsicum, onion, and pepper and sweat them down. You want these to retain some crunch in this dish, so please no overcooking and certainly not burning. So again two minutes should be fine.
Throw in the beef again and stir fry all together for another two minutes. You are done. The sauce should be thick and sticky (if not add a little more dissolved corn starch). Taste test to feel the heat – add more black pepper if you feel it needs it. Stir in the red and green capsicum for some colour balance and serve up folks. There it is Black Pepper Beef.
