#ewew cooks Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef with Vegetables

Inspired by the success of my Black Pepper Pork Stir-Fry, I had been wanting to do a beef version like forever and I finally got my chance when I got hold of some beef from Aeon one day.

Well, we all know that black pepper with pork or chicken is good.....but black pepper with beef is even better.  After all, black pepper sauce is a mainstay of steaks and it's so popular that it's probably one of the most ordered sauces to pair with steaks.  So, here's my take on Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef with Vegetables which is one of my favourite things to cook and eat.

I didn't have to do anything as the True Aussie topside beef stir-fry I got was already pre-sliced.  This 250g pack costs RM18.33 and is good for two single servings for one (I used only half the packet for this cook) as a one-dish meal (with a little rice) or the entire packet as part of a 3-dish family meal with rice.

You cook black pepper beef pretty much the same way you would cook black pepper pork (above)...and you start by marinating it in a simple marinade of cornstarch, light soy sauce and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.  You can even add a bit of water to the cornstarch marinade if it's too dry.  The cornstarch is what helps make the beef tender and smooth.

You begin by searing the beef slices in a little oil in a medium hot non-stick pan.  Resist the urge to flip them immediately but let them sit for a while until you're happy with the browning....then flip.

Once done, remove them onto a plate.  It's alright if they aren't cooked all the way through as they'll be twice cooked later anyway.  You can, of course, choose to velvet your beef by other methods like blanching or deep-frying.

Add more oil and start sauteeing your onions (this was one large onion) until soft and translucent.  The more caramelised you get the onions, the sweeter they will be.

This dish is great just like that...with onions, spring onions (for a bit of colour) and black pepper....but can be even better if you add a variety of vegetables to go with it.  When your onions are nearing done, add in the vegetables.  I threw in some chopped garlic as well.

Here I used half a red capsicum (for taste and colour), sugar snap peas (not snow peas) and onions.  If you ask me, I feel stir-fried beef tastes the best with capsicum of any colour....and if you use all three colours of red, green and yellow, the dish will be vibrantly colourful and appealing.  You can cook them lightly if you prefer them crunchy or longer for a softer texture (that's the way I like it as the sweetness is more apparent).

Once the vegetables are cooked to the texture you prefer, you can add back the cooked beef to the pan.  At this time, you can drizzle over a bit of thick dark soy to give it that visually black colour of black pepper beef.

Taste and check your seasoning to see if it needs more tweaking.  You may need an extra pinch of salt or even more freshly cracked black pepper (I know I do) to further strengthen that black pepper flavour.

And my Stir-Fried Black Pepper Beef with Capsicum, Sugar Snap Peas & Onions is done! ;)  The plate may look visually colourful but these vegetables bring so much more and are a delight to eat.

The lightly charred red capsicum and caramelised onions are sweet and juicy while the sugar snap peas give you that nice crunch for a textural contrast.  A good replacement for the sugar snap peas would be french beans or (if you don't mind the cost) asparagus that would offer your dish that same crunchy texture.

Beef is such good mates with black pepper that it's a no-brainer...and that's why you see it as the most requested sauce for steaks (even chicken chop) by many patrons. ^.^

Of course a home-cooked version will not be quite the calibre of a restaurant-quality one as we don't go through a proper velveting process, so expect the beef to be not as smooth.  Also this beef came already pre-sliced, so the slices were slightly thicker than I would cut them myself.  Still, the end result was really good. If there's one thing better than a black pepper pork stir-fry, it would be a black pepper beef stir-fry.  There's no denying that beef and black pepper is a perfect match....like a perfect couple...lol!

Black pepper beef is one of those dishes I'm always inclined to order at restaurants coz it's just so tasty but they come at a price.  There was a time I had it at a ridiculous price of RM80! O_o  So, if you like beef, I urge you to try making this easy-to-cook dish at home...and be amazed at the resulting good taste which comes at a fraction of the cost of what a restaurant would charge (about RM9 excluding the veggies...based on half a packet used).  Try it.....you'll like it! ^o^