Chinese Pepper Steak Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is Chinese pepper steak so tender? ›

This Chinese Pepper Steak is crazy tender thanks to 1) slicing the beef thinly, 2) slicing the beef across the grain and 3) marinating the beef. The marinade is a very thick combination of soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch etc. and it makes ALL the difference between buttery tender beef and okay beef.

Flank steak is our cut of choice for pepper steak—it's marbled with fat, full of beefy flavor, and easy to cut into thin, tender slices. That being said, flank isn't your only option. Skirt steak will give you a very similar result, or if you're looking for a cheaper choice, sirloin is another great option.

Why is my pepper steak tough? It's true that flank steak or any stir fry steak can be a bit tough, but there are a couple of things you can do to help. The first thing to do is to make sure you're cutting the meat across the grain. This will help to shorten the fibres to make the meat less chewy.

Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking.

You can velvet meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender by quickly tossing chunks of beef or chicken in about ¾ tsp of baking soda for about 15 minutes before your next stir fry, then rinse and pat the meat dry before putting in the pan.

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.

Steak au poivre (French pronunciation: [stɛk‿o pwavʁ], Quebec French pronunciation: [stei̯k‿o pwɑːvʁ]) or pepper steak is a French dish that consists of a steak, traditionally a filet mignon, coated with coarsely cracked peppercorns.

Many people assume that it is the way they are cooking it, but it has to do with the quality of the meat and where it is cut from. For instance, meat that is cut from the top of the rib will be pretty tough, and meat this is cut from the filet split (a smaller cut from a minute steak roast) will be tender.

I learned, first and foremost, that good pepper steak has to be quality pepper steak. The better the quality of the meat, the softer it will turn out in the end. The second thing I learned about cooking pepper steak is to cook it low and slow. The longer the steak simmers, the longer the meat will tenderize.

Why does baking soda tenderize steak? ›

Baking soda. Here's where it gets science-y: The baking soda raises the pH on the outside of the meat as it marinates, in a process known as velveting (which can also be done with a cornstarch slurry). This makes it so the proteins have a harder time bonding to each other when it's time to cook the meat.

A: The main difference between pepper sauce and peppercorn sauce lies in their key ingredients. Pepper sauce is crafted from chili peppers whereas peppercorn sauce is made from peppercorns specifically black, green, or other varieties.

It is known for its spicy and complex flavors: spicy elements from red chili peppers, savory notes from garlic and ginger, a touch of sweetness, and the distinct numbing sensation from Szechuan peppercorns.

Ingredients. Primary ingredients are typically peppercorns and heavy cream. Additional ingredients may include butter, wine, brandy, such as cognac, shallots, garlic and additional seasonings, such as bay leaf, star anise, tarragon and salt. Some versions may incorporate liquor, such as whiskey.

Black bean sauce is one of the most popular and basic Chinese sauces. It is made from fermented black beans (Dou Chi), which are cooked black soybeans fermented in heavily salinated water. These fermented black beans are further cooked with aromatics and other ingredients to create black bean sauce.