Pepper Steak and Celery Stir-Fry With Lemon
Published January 16, 2025
Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound sirloin, skirt or hanger steak, set in the freezer for 10 minutes until firm
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon light brown or granulated sugar
1 lemon
2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or peanut oil
5 celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced on a bias
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
9 grams carbs; 89 milligrams cholesterol; 369 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 556 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 3 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
Using your chef’s knife, slice the chilled beef against the grain into ¼-inch-thick strips about 2 inches long; set aside.
- Step 2
Place the beef in a medium bowl and season with salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add cornstarch and sugar and toss until the beef is thoroughly coated.
- Step 3
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemon in wide strips; set the peels aside then cut the lemon in half.
- Step 4
Set a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high. When the pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Using tongs, add half the beef to the pan in a single layer and cook, without stirring or tossing, until deeply brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. The pieces at the edges of the pan will brown faster than the ones in the center, so flip those first. Flip and cook on the other side until no longer pink, about 20 seconds. Transfer the beef to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Step 5
After transferring the second batch of browned beef to the plate, pour the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into the pan and add the celery, garlic, scallion whites and reserved lemon peels. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring often, until the scallions have slightly softened, about 1 minute.
- Step 6
Return the beef and any juices to the pan and add the soy sauce and butter. Cook, tossing until you have a smooth sauce that coats the steak, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon half and toss once more.
- Step 7
Transfer stir-fry to a platter and top with scallion greens; serve with remaining lemon half.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a certified BANGER. I always love an Andy recipe, and this did not fall short. I was intrigued by incorporating a lemon flavor with beef, however, this simply recipe bang bang BANGED. Note: I did swap the celery for snap peas and used golden mountain sauce instead of soy sauce, but the overall flavor profile will match if you use celery or soy. This is going in my “Make This If You Want Some” list. Paired with rice.
Everyone in my family loved this! They were asking to take the leftovers for lunch the next day, but... there were no leftovers. Next time, more of everything, and I'll increase the ratio of celery and lemon to meat.
Since I wanted to avoid the sugar, I added a sliced shallot a little before the other vegetables. I kept stirring to brown them briefly. Then proceeded as directed. It would seem that any protein could be used successfully. A wonderful recipe.
lemon in a beef stir fry is a miss for my palate....and I am left wondering if the entire NYTimes cooking section would implode without.... lemon, it is in like 3 out of every 4 recipes I look at nowadays....last one I saw was meatballs in broth with greens.... and lemon
Why is it called pepper steak when no pepper is listed in the ingredients
The key to understanding this recipe is that it is essentially steak with a tiny garnish of celery, garlic, and scallions lightly glazed in a bit of soy sauce and butter. Trying to make it more vegetable forward (by adding more celery, for example) doesn’t work because there’s not enough other flavors in the recipe to carry it. And even when prepared exactly is written, it seems to need a little something. Maybe an anchovy or something with a bit more depth along with the steak.