Green Pepper Beef (青椒牛柳)

青椒牛柳

Green Pepper Beef (青椒牛柳) — Home-styleNational favorite home cooking.

Ingredients

• beef sirloin or flank, thinly sliced against the grain
• green bell peppers, cut into strips
• onion, cut into strips (optional)
• garlic, sliced
• ginger, sliced
• light soy sauce
• Shaoxing wine
• oyster sauce
• baking soda (optional, for extra tenderizing)
• cornstarch (for velveting + slurry)
• black pepper
• neutral oil

Instructions

1. Slice beef thinly against the grain. Velvet: mix with 1 tbsp soy, Shaoxing, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and (optional) baking soda. Rest 15 minutes. (Beef strips are evenly coated, slightly sticky)
2. In a small bowl mix: remaining 1/2 tbsp soy, oyster sauce, black pepper, 1/2 cup water (125 ml), 1 tbsp cornstarch. (Uniform dark-brown sauce, cornstarch dissolved)
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok until it just starts to shimmer (about 30 seconds over high). Add beef in one layer — let it sear 30 seconds before moving it. (Oil shimmers; beef edges brown within seconds of contact)
4. Stir-fry until beef is about 80% cooked (mostly brown, tiny pink center), about 1 minute. Remove to a plate. (Beef is browned outside with a faint pink core)
5. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, onion (30 sec), then green peppers (1-2 min) until bright green with charred edges. (Peppers turn glossy bright green with golden-brown char spots)
6. Return the beef. Give the sauce a stir and pour it in. Toss 30 seconds until everything is glossy. (Sauce turns glossy and coats beef and peppers evenly)
7. Serve immediately over steamed rice. Don't leave it in the pan — carryover heat keeps cooking the beef. (Shiny sauce, tender beef, bright peppers — steam rising)