Black Pepper Beef Recipe

Trim and slice

Trim any fat or silver skin from the filet mignon. Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch thick strips about 2 inches long.

Place the sliced beef in a bowl and add 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp white pepper. Mix thoroughly to coat and let it sit 10–15 minutes while you prepare other ingredients. The cornstarch will velvet the beef and help the sauce adhere.

In a small bowl combine 3 tbs beef or chicken stock, 1 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy, 1 tsp light soy, 2 tsp coarsely ground Thai-style black pepper, and 1 tsp sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar.

In a separate tiny bowl make a cornstarch slurry: mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs water until smooth. Keep both sauce and slurry nearby.

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Blanch the broccoli florets for 30–45 seconds until bright green and just tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath or cold water to stop cooking, then drain and set aside.

Clean and halve the mushrooms (or slice shiitake). Pat dry. Mince the garlic, thinly slice the shallot, and cut the scallions into 1-inch pieces. Keep all aromatics ready for stir-frying.

Heat a wok over high heat until smoking slightly. Add 2 tsp neutral oil and swirl to coat.

When the oil is very hot, add the marinated beef in a single layer (do this in two batches if necessary to avoid crowding). Spread the strips out and sear without moving for 20–30 seconds, then toss and continue stir-frying until the beef is mostly cooked but still slightly pink in the center, about 1 to 1½ minutes per batch. Remove the beef to a plate and keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tsp neutral oil to the wok. Add the shallot and mushrooms and stir-fry for 30–45 seconds until mushrooms release moisture and begin to brown. Add the minced garlic and white parts of the scallions and stir-fry another 15–20 seconds until fragrant.

Return the beef to the wok along with the blanched broccoli. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir quickly to combine. Let the sauce come to a simmer and coat the ingredients, about 30 seconds.

Stir the cornstarch slurry once (it may settle) and drizzle it into the wok while stirring constantly. The sauce will thicken within 15–30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning: add up to 1/2 tsp salt if needed and additional freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Finish by drizzling 1 tsp toasted sesame oil over the stir-fry and tossing to combine. Remove from heat.

Transfer the black pepper beef to a warm serving plate. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions and a light sprinkle of extra coarsely ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles.