This Pepper Steak recipe (香回鍋牛排) adds a twist to the restaurant classic by grilling Steak before slicing and stir-frying it with peppers.
Beef stir-fried with Peppers probably has roots in China in one form or another, but it has long been a classic in Westernized Chinese restaurants. It seems to be falling out of fashion these days, but it still fairly popular and there are many variations on the basic theme. The dish you see above represents a twist on the usual methods used for the classic in that it uses Flank Steak which is first marinated in Lemon juice, then grilled before being sliced and used in the final stir-frying.
Ingredient Notes for Pepper Steak with a Twist
Flank Steak used to a fairly cheap cut, but growing popularity has made it increase in price accordingly. It is quite a fibrous cut, so it benefits from an acidic marinade, and it should always be sliced across the grain.
You can use a commercially prepared stock here, but a good quality Basic Chinese Chicken Stock is best. As for the Hoisin Sauce called for in the Recipe Card below, this could be replaced with Oyster Sauce, if you like, but you may wish to add a little sugar to the sauce mix in that case.
How to make 香回鍋牛排
First, sprinkle the steak on both sides with the garlic salt and sugar and then prick it all over with a thin skewer or knife-point to allow the marinade to penetrate. Pour the lemon juice over the steak in a suitable dish and put it in the fridge to marinate for several hours (or overnight), turning several times during the process.
Slice the green pepper into thin batons and blanch for a minute or so in boiling salted water. Immediately afterward, plunge the pieces into ice-cold water to arrest the cooking and preserve the color.
Next, blend the cornstarch with the chicken stock and mix in the Hoisin and Soy sauces. Set this aside for now.
When you are ready, grill the steak over a high flame until nicely browned on the outside but still rare at the center. Afterwards, remove the steak from the heat and let rest for five minutes or so before slicing it, against the grain, into 3” strips.
Now, add a few tablespoons of oil to a pan over high heat and quickly saute the scallion, chili slivers and garlic until their aroma rises.
Add the meat to the pan along with the drained green pepper pieces and stir-fry briskly until everything is well heated through but the beef still retains a little pink color.
Finally add the sauce mix and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately, either over rice or noodles, or on its own platter as one of several dishes in a Chinese style meal.
Your Recipe Card for 香回鍋牛排 :
Pepper Steak with a Twist
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb Flank Steak;
- 1 medium Green Bell Pepper;
- 2 Scallions cut into 3” sections;
- 1-2 fresh Red Chilies sliced into fine slivers;
- ½ tsp. Garlic Salt;
- 1 tsp. Sugar;
- 4 Tbsp. Lemon Juice;
- 1 tsp. Garlic Paste;
- ¼ cup Chicken Stock;
- 1 tsp. Cornstarch;
- 2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce;
- 1 Tbsp. Light Soy Sauce.
Instructions
- Sprinkle the steak on both sides with the garlic salt and sugar and then prick it all over with a thin skewer or knife-point to allow the marinade to penetrate.
- Pour the lemon juice over the steak in a suitable dish and marinate for several hours (or overnight), turning several times during the process.
- Slice the green pepper into thin batons, blanch in boiling salted water and plunge the pieces into ice-cold water to arrest cooking.
- Blend the cornstarch with the Chicken Stock, Hoisin Sauce and Soy Sauces, and set aside.
- Grill the steak to rare over a high flame then rest for at least 5 minutes and slice it across the grain into 3” strips.
- Stir-fry the Scallion, Chili slivers and Garlic over high heat until their aroma rises.
- Add the meat to the pan along with the drained green pepper pieces and stir-fry briskly until all is heated through.
- Add the sauce mix, stir-fry until the sauce has thickened and serve immediately,