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Beef in Black Bean Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 55 reviews

A flavorful Chinese-inspired stir fry featuring tender beef strips cooked in a rich, savory black bean sauce with garlic, ginger, and colorful bell peppers. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a satisfying dinner served over boiled rice and garnished with spring onions and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

Scale

Black Bean Sauce

  • 4 tbsp fermented black beans
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp granulated or caster sugar
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water (slurry)

Beef & Marinade

  • 400 g (14 oz) beef steak, sliced thinly against the grain
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Vegetables & Cooking Oils

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed, avocado, or other neutral oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped into chunky pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and chopped into chunky pieces

To Serve

  • Boiled rice
  • Sliced spring onions (scallions)
  • Mixed sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Soaking the black beans: Place the fermented black beans in a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for one hour to rehydrate and mellow their flavor.
  2. Velveting the beef: Place the sliced beef in a bowl and sprinkle evenly with bicarbonate of soda. Rub it thoroughly into the meat, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This tenderizing step will help produce juicy, tender beef strips.
  3. Preparing the beef: After 30 minutes, rinse the beef well under cold water to remove excess bicarbonate, drain thoroughly, and pat dry with kitchen towels. Set aside in a bowl ready for cooking.
  4. Making the black bean sauce: Drain the soaked black beans and rinse them well. Mash about three-quarters of the beans with a fork, leaving the rest whole for texture. Heat sesame and rapeseed oils in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and black beans and fry for one minute, stirring often until fragrant.
  5. Simmering the sauce: Pour in the Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and stock. Stir to combine, and bring the sauce to a boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to reduce and concentrate flavors.
  6. Thickening the sauce: Stir in half of the cornflour slurry to thicken. Add more slurry if desired to achieve a thicker consistency, then turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
  7. Cooking the beef and vegetables: Toss the velveted beef in salt and black pepper. Heat both oils in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until beef is just cooked through.
  8. Adding vegetables: Add the onion and both bell peppers to the wok, and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly softened but still crisp.
  9. Combining with sauce: Pour the prepared black bean sauce into the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until heated through and well combined with the beef and vegetables.
  10. Serving: Serve the beef in black bean sauce hot over boiled rice, garnished with sliced spring onions and a sprinkle of mixed sesame seeds for added texture and flavor.

Notes

  • For tender beef, slice thinly against the grain and velvet with bicarbonate of soda.
  • Soaking fermented black beans reduces their saltiness and enhances flavor integration.
  • The sauce thickness can be adjusted by adding more or less cornflour slurry.
  • Shoaxing Chinese rice wine can be substituted with dry sherry if unavailable.
  • This dish is best served immediately to retain the beef’s tenderness and the vegetables’ crunch.

Keywords: Beef in black bean sauce, Chinese beef stir fry, fermented black beans, quick Chinese dinner, velveted beef recipe

Find it online: https://servedbynora.com/beef-in-black-bean-sauce-recipe/