#ewew cooks Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef

Black pepper is probably one of the most requested sauces, if not the most popular, for many when it comes to eating steaks...it is for me when they're cheaper steaks with less flavour.

The same is true when I want to make stir-fry beef as the pepperiness of black pepper will cover any beefy taste in those less-than-stellar quality beef.

And even though it's less-than-stellar quality beef, it still cost a lot more than other meats like chicken or pork.  So, I would keep an eye out for discounts...and, if you're lucky, you may just find it offered at 50% less.  This usually happens when there are unsold ones two days after their packaging date.  Even though they're just two days to their best before date, they're still good (even when I cooked them a day or two after that).

It's very convenient as the packet contains everything you need, such as (already peeled) garlic, onion, peppers, chillies and black peppercorns, to make a delicious Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef with ease.  You start by marinating the beef slices with the black peppercorns (which you lightly crush in a pestle and mortar).  I would add some soy sauce and cornflour (this is extra) to the marinade as well.

Fry the sliced garlic and onions in some oil until browned.  Add in the sliced peppers (which are very colourful indeed since they gave all three colours albeit in small quantities).  You can add on more if you have some at your disposal.

Add in the beef almost immediately.  Make sure the pan is hot as you want the beef to brown and sear quickly to seal in the juices.

Throw in the sliced red chillies once the beef is well browned.  I would say that this is a typical Chinese-style stir-fry where everything is thrown in and stir-fried together in one wok (or pan).

At this point, I also added some oyster sauce and a little water (purely optional) to create a bit of a sauce.

Voila.....my quick-fire Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef is done in no time!  I'm all for this type of fast, quick-fire cooking when time is a luxury we don't have...at times! ;)

Great served with rice as a one-dish meal :)

On another occasion, I found the same Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef but at a higher price! :'(  Moreover, this time, it came without red peppers, chillies and garlic but with a packet of black pepper seasoning.  This one was even easier.  You just need to marinade the beef with the packet of powdered seasoning. I found the seasoning to be a lot, so I used only half.

This time, I went with a more Western approach.  I cooked the marinated beef separately and dished it up once done so as not to overcook the beef.  The beef took on a darker colour since there was more black pepper seasoning.

Then I fried the onions first before adding the sliced peppers.  Since I didn't get any red peppers, I coincidentally had some available and added that for a more colourful presentation.

Once you're happy with the doneness of the vegetables, add the already cooked beef back into the pan.

At this juncture, I added a bit of water to make a sauce.  Now I understand why there was so much seasoning, it's so that you can add more water to make a sufficient amount of black pepper sauce.  Use all the seasoning if you like more sauce....or if you want a more robust flavour! :P

This simple stir-fry is so easy to cook and saves you a lot of time on prep work but, more importantly, it also tasted pretty darn good.  This second version tasted better than the first because there was more black pepper flavour/sauce. ^o^

The portion (amount shown here is not the full portion) is good enough for one rather hungry person, otherwise I'd even say it's sufficient for one and a half portions.

The black pepper sauce made all the difference.  It's as good as those you eat outside.  Of course, the beef could be more tender but for a price of around RM10 (or half if discounted), I have no cause for complain (though this second packet cost a bit more at RM11.50).  Once consumers find out how good this turns out, there won't be any left at a discount unfortunately as they will be all sold out! :P

If you ever come across this ready-packed Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef at Aeon supermarket, don't let it pass you by, get it...more so if you see it offered at half price.  Even if you can't find this in pre-packed form, it's a simple enough recipe to nail from scratch.  Give it a try if black pepper beef is something you like to eat. ^_~