Beef , black pepper , Cast Iron , Peppers
Best for: The sizzling plate that arrives still singing.
In Cantonese restaurants, black pepper beef lands on the table on a screaming-hot iron plate, still sizzling in its peppery sauce. A cast-iron skillet on the grill is the same plate: beef strips, bell pepper, and onion seared hard and finished with a sauce where cracked black pepper is not a seasoning but the headline.
Cast iron: Large cast-iron skillet over direct high heat on the grill; 500°F. Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet, grill, spatula.
Ingredients
Marinate: 15 minutes. Total: 40 minutes.
Beef and marinade
- 1 1/2 lb flank steak or sirloin, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce and vegetables
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, coarsely cracked, plus more to finish
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
Toss the beef with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch and marinate for 15 minutes. Whisk the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, water, and cracked pepper into the sauce.
Heat the cast-iron skillet on the grill to 500°F until just smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil and sear the bell peppers and onion for 2–3 minutes, until charred at the edges but still crisp. Set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and sear the beef in a single layer for 2 minutes, then stir-fry for 1–2 minutes more until browned.
Add the garlic and stir for 20 seconds.
Return the peppers and onion, pour in the sauce, and toss for about 1 minute, until glossy and thickened.
Finish with an extra grinding of black pepper and serve in the skillet, still sizzling, over rice.
Grilling tip: Crack the pepper coarse and fresh — pre-ground pepper dust tastes flat in a sauce where pepper is the headline.
