Black Pepper Beef Recipe (2024)

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This black pepper beef is a quick and easy stir fry side dish with potato wedges and green bell pepper. This is exactly how my late mum used to make it.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

  • Black Pepper Beef Recipe
  • What cut of Beef?
  • Marinating the Beef
  • How to Serve Black Pepper Beef
  • More Beef Recipes
Black Pepper Beef Recipe (1)

Black Pepper Beef Recipe

It’s a very easy recipe and quick to cook as well. I’ve broken down the ingredients as well as the steps into sections, so you can see just what you need and what wants to be done to cook this black pepper beef.

This is what we’ll be doing:

  1. marinate the beef (10 minutes or so while you get everything else ready)
  2. pre cook the potatoes (in oil or air fryer)
  3. chop/pound the aromatics
  4. fry the aromatics
  5. add the beef, cook for 3 minutes
  6. add everything else and cook for another 3 minutes

That’s it, all done pretty quickly. This is because our black pepper beef uses a cut of beef that calls for a short cooking time. More below.

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (2)

What cut of Beef?

You will need quick cookingbeef cuts, as we will be cooking the beef very quickly. Below are some examples. If they don’t look familiar to you, do a Google search, as cuts can have various names in different parts of the world.

  • Sirloin – lean and boneless, great for all quick cooking, my favourite
  • Rib Eye – probably with the most flavour but fattier
  • Fillet Steaks – very lean and tender
  • Rump Steaks – firmer but full of flavour
  • Feather Steaks – taken from the blade, not as well known and are relatively inexpensive. I quite like these, you get flavour without the price tag.

In supermarkets, you will most likely fine packs of beef labelled as quick cook or stir fry. Those will do perfectly for our black pepper beef. If you buy your beef from the butcher, just tell him what it’s for and get him to slice your beef for you.

Marinating the Beef

We marinate the beef pieces very quickly with some oyster sauce, sweet soy sauce, black pepper, garlic and ginger. This quick soak gives the beef a little bit of a head start in terms of flavour.

As our black pepper beef is a quick and easy recipe, we marinate only as long as it takes to get all the other ingredients ready. However, if you fancy a longer marinating time, by all means, give it an hour or two, or even overnight in the fridge.

I love adding a little grated ginger and garlic here too for just some spice and citrus kick. And also because I love this handy new ceramic grater I recently came across. You’ll find it or others like it on Amazon, no fear of grating your fingers! Click here to get it on Amazon (affiliate link).

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (3)

How to Serve Black Pepper Beef

When I make this recipe, I tend to have it just with some rice and a green salad of cucumbers and lettuce. And a little sambal belacan, because you know me and my sambals, can’t live without the things!

Our black pepper beef has capsicum, onions and tomatoes, so that’s a good variety of flavours and textures already. So you don’t really need anything else to make it a meal. Skip the salad if you’re not keen, but salads are a must at every mealtime for us.

This black pepper beef also makes a great dish in an East or South East Asian meal, as part of a menu. Here are some examples you can serve it alongside.

Kerabu Timun

Kerabu timun recipe, a fresh and delicious Malaysian cucumber salad that is ready in minutes. It can be mild or spicy, that's up to you.

Check out this recipe!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (4)

Kangkung Belacan

Get your kangkung belacan recipe here! It's a quick and easy water spinach stir-fry that is popular in Singapore and Malaysia.

Check out this recipe!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (5)

Ikan Masak Tiga Rasa

Ikan Masak Tiga Rasa recipe. A hot, sweet and sour fish dish from Singapore and Malaysia that's just perfect with some plain steamed rice.

Check out this recipe!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (6)

More Beef Recipes

Eurasian Pot Roast Beef

Click here for my Eurasian pot roast beef recipe. Meltingly tender beef in a delicious combination of East meets West.

Check out this recipe!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (7)

Beef Rendang Recipe (Resepi Rendang Daging)

Beef Rendang (rendang daging), the way my mum made it. A curry with meltingly tender beef, slow cooked in a rich, aromatic and highly spiced coconut gravy.

Check out this recipe!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (8)

Eurasian Corned Beef Stew Recipe

Eurasian Corned Beef Stew recipe, a quick and easy light mix of corned beef and vegetables, perfect for a midweek meal.

Check out this recipe!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (9)

If you enjoy the recipe, drop me a comment and let me know. And if you are feeling like a star, don’t forget that 5-star rating!

If you make this recipe, post it on Instagram and tag me@azlinbloorand hashtag it #linsfood.

Lin xx

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (10)

Black Pepper Beef Recipe

Azlin Bloor

Black pepper beef recipe with potatoes, a quick and easy side dish that's perfect with just some rice or as part of an Asian meal.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Singaporean and Malaysian

Servings 4 (Serves 4-6)

Calories 374 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 knife

  • 1 chopping board

  • 1 large bowl for marinating the beef

  • 1 chopper (or pestle and mortar)

  • 1 ladle

Ingredients

Beef and Marinade
  • 500 g beef quick cook cuts, see suggestions in article above
  • 1 medium clove garlic
  • 2.5 cm ginger
  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 Tbsp sweet soy sauce
  • ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Ingredients to be Chopped/Pounded
  • 1 medium onion about 120g (4.2 oz) pre peeled weight
  • 2 medium cloves garlic
  • 5 cm ginger
Everything Else
  • 1 medium potato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 red chillies (these can be chopped/pounded with the above, if you prefer)
  • 1 green capsicum (bell pepper)
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 60 ml vegetable oil
  • 60 ml water
  • 1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • some fresh coriander leaves or spring onions to garnish, chopped (cilantro or scallions)

Instructions

Prepare the Beef

  • Slice your beef into thin strips, cutting across the grain. This cuts through the fibres, making the meat tender and easier to chew. Place in a bowl.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (11)

  • Grate the garlic and ginger or chop/pound them finely and add to the beef.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (12)

  • Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and black pepper to the beef strips and mix well. Set aside to marinate lightly while you get everything else ready.

    You can also leave this to marinate for as long as you want, even overnight in the fridge. If placing in the fridge or marinating for more than an hour, cover with cling film. And be sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking, to allow the meat to come to room temperature.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (13)

Other Prep Work

  • Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges.

  • Peel and quarter the onions. Peel the garlic and ginger. Place everything in the chopper and chop to a coarse mix. Or pound with a pestle and mortar.

    If you like, you could chop the red chillies here too, but I prefer to slice them.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (14)

  • Peel the second onion and slice into rings. Slice the red chillies and slice the green peppers into strips. Quarter the tomatoes.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (15)

Let's get Cooking

  • The Potatoes. Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan on medium heat and fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes until medium brown and done. If they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.

    You can also do this in an air fryer: 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (16)

  • Take the wedges out with a slotted spoon and leave on a plate that's been lined with kitchen paper, to absorb excess oil.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (17)

  • Pour out all but about 1 Tbsp oil and fry the chopped ingredients on medium heat for 1 minute.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (18)

  • Increase the heat and fry the beef for 3 minutes. Keep tossing the beef to brown. If things are starting to burn, lower the heat to medium.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (19)

  • Add the potatoes, onions, chillies, capsicum, tomatoes, black pepper and water. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (20)

  • Turn the heat off and garnish with your chosen herb. Serve immediately.

    Black Pepper Beef Recipe (21)

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 31gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 490mgPotassium: 1046mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 849IUVitamin C: 80mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 4mg

Keyword beef, daging, stir-fry

Tried this recipe?Mention @azlinbloor or tag #linsfood!

Made it? Upload your Photos!Mention @azlinbloor or tag #linsfood!

Black Pepper Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to cook black pepper? ›

Preparation. Peppercorns can be used whole, crushed or ground to add heat and flavour to cooking. Use them whole in stews and soups or as part of a bouquet garni. You will often find whole peppercorns spicing up salamis or sausages.

Does black pepper tenderize meat? ›

The sauce is added to a hot pan with a protein of choice and it tastes savory and peppery delicious. Does black pepper tenderize meat? No, black pepper does not tenderize meat.

What are the ingredients in black pepper? ›

This pungent spice contains a variety of active compounds, specifically oleoresins and alkaloids like piperine and chavicine. It also has antioxidants, flavonoids, essential oil, and other phenolic compounds that help protect your cells and boost digestive health.

What is the method of black pepper? ›

Serpentine method

Cheaper propagation technique for production of rooted cuttings of black pepper is serpentine layering. In a nursery shed with roofing sheet or shade net, rooted black pepper cuttings are planted in polythene bags holding about 500 g potting mixture, which will serve as mother plants.

What gives black pepper its flavor? ›

The main active ingredient in black peppercorns is piperine, which is the source of black pepper's characteristic heat. Aside from heat, black pepper carries a complex flavor profile of piney, citrusy notes. By adding more black pepper to a dish, eventually the heat from the piperine becomes the main flavor.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

Does apple cider vinegar tenderize meat? ›

Marinate with Acid

Not only does a tenderizing steak marinade imbue aromatic flavour, but the acidic ingredients in it also denature connective proteins in the meat. Regular or apple cider vinegar, wine or beer, lemon or lime juice, buttermilk or yogurt contain tenderizing acids.

Does Coca Cola tenderize meat? ›

If you're not from the south, it may not have occurred to you that you can cook with Coca-Cola. But the king of sodas has been used in southern cooking for years — particularly in marinades and sauces for beef and pork. Its sweet acidity can help to tenderize meat, making it an ideal addition for a long slow brine.

Why is Chinese takeout beef so tender? ›

The secret is tenderising the meat. It's called velveting beef. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!

How do Chinese get their beef so soft? ›

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

What is the best way to consume black pepper? ›

Black pepper can be added to salads by sprinkling a pinch of salt on them. Add some black pepper while frying an omelette. You can add some black pepper to soups, sauces, steak and Bacon, fish and meat. You can add it to some of the hamburgers and sausages.

How should peppers be cooked? ›

To boil bell peppers: Cook peppers, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 6 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. To sauté bell peppers: Heat a skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Carefully add bell peppers and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.

What part of black pepper do we eat? ›

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning.

Should black pepper be toasted? ›

As black pepper warms, it releases oils, and that sharp taste transforms. As it goes from warming to toasting, the piperine, the alkaloid responsible for that characteristic pungent kick from black pepper that you know and love, becomes stronger.

References

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