Pepper Steak
Updated October 10, 2023
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
- Total Time
- 40 minutes, plus marinating time
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound beef flank or skirt steak (see Tip)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more for stir-frying
2 medium fresh green bell peppers or Cubanelle peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed and thinly sliced
1 (1 ½-inch) piece ginger, peeled, crushed and thinly sliced
Salt
¼ cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons honey
Cooked white rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
30 grams carbs; 77 milligrams cholesterol; 390 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 835 milligrams sodium; 27 grams protein; 11 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Marinate the beef: Cut the steak into 2- or 3-inch-wide pieces along the grain, then cut into thin slices against the grain. In a bowl, combine the steak, cornstarch, black pepper, 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons oil. Toss to mix, cover and marinate at room temperature for up to 30 minutes (see Tip), or in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
- Step 2
Stir-fry the beef: Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high until a splash of water dropped into the pan evaporates quickly. Add enough oil to generously coat the pan, then add the beef in a single layer. Cook without flipping until the meat is browned around the edges, 2 ½ to 3 minutes, then stir constantly until browned all over, about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 3
Add the peppers, onion, garlic and ginger to the same wok, still over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 1 to 1 ½ minutes.
- Step 4
Add the meat back to the pan, along with the Shaoxing wine, honey and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any stuck-on bits, until the liquid reduces greatly and slicks the vegetables and beef, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or soy sauce as desired. Serve immediately with rice.
If using a tougher cut like bottom round steak, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to tenderize the meat, but don’t let it marinate for longer than 30 minutes or it’ll turn mushy.
Private Notes
Comments
Thanks, Carolyn, agree w/ all of this, but the ginger listing is not an error. I like to smash my ginger as I would my garlic before running my knife through. You get a fuzzier cut that melts into the stir-fry.
Don't use the Chinese cooking wine at the Asian grocery stores; they all have salt added. The closest to real Chinese wine is a Spanish Amontillado sherry, get it at any good wine store for $10.
stir in some crushed Chinese black beans to the soy sauce and toss in some fresh tomatoes at the end and you've got a dish I've enjoyed for over 50 years
Hated the honey. Gross!! Don’t put it or replace with mirin or a little bit of sugar.
I had to cut this down a bit for the two of us, but it was so good. Marinated the steak for about 8 hours. I had a red (not green) pepper. I didn't have the specified cooking alcohol so used dry vermouth instead. It was so delicious. The steak was fork tender and there was a hint of the vermouth which tasted very good. I read the comments where people added other vegetables, but I liked it as is. Since the meat was marinated well ahead of time it came together very quickly.
One of my favorite recipes on this site. I added serranos and the heat from the chile clashed a bit with the pepper. Trust the recipe as written!