Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry in Black Pepper Sauce (黑椒芥蓝牛肉)
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author:
Mandy Fu
Servings
2
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Beef and Broccoli in Black Pepper Sauce (黑椒芥蓝牛肉) is always one of my top recommended Chinese food. I mean, who doesn’t love beef and broccoli, right? The beef is tender and juicy, the gailan (Chinese broccoli) is crisp and vibrant, and the sauce — rich, savory, and full of peppery fragrance — ties everything together beautifully. It’s the kind of dish that makes you keep going back for “just one more bite,” especially with a bowl of hot white rice.

Ingredients
To marinate the beef
- 227g / 8 oz of beef, recommend ribeye or sirloin steak
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 1/8 tsp of baking soda
- 2 tsp of cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
- 1/2 tbsp of oil to coat the beef
To make the black pepper sauce
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1.5 tsp of soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp of dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp of sugar
Others
-
300g of gailan (Chinese broccoli)
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 tbsp of oil to stir fry
Directions
Slice the beef into 1/8 of an inch thick pieces. I am using flank steak. Other cuts, such as strip steak, ribeye, and sirloin will also work.
- Marinate the beef with 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/8 tsp of baking soda, 2 tsp of cornstarch, and 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine. Mix thoroughly. Last, add a drizzle of oil and mix to coat it. This helps to separate the slices so they don’t stick together while cooking. Set it aside for 10 minutes.
- During this time, separate the gailan (Chinese broccoli) stems and the leaves because they will go into the wok at different times. Cut the stem into bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop the leaves. If you don’t have access to Chinese broccoli, use Western broccoli, and the dish will taste just as delicious.
- To make the black pepper sauce, combine 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1.5 tsp of soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of dark soy sauce, and 2 tsp of sugar in a bowl. Mix well and set it aside.
- Turn the heat to high and preheat the wok until smoking hot. Add a big drizzle of oil and swirl it around to create a non-stick coating. Toss in the Gailan stems and stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add the marinated beef and garlic. Quickly stir to separate the slices. The heat is on high, so in less than a minute, all of the meat should change color. Then add the gailan leaves and pour in the black pepper sauce. Continue to mix until well combined.