The Perfect Beef in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

Black Bean Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons fermented black beans
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoon Shaoxing Chinese rice wine - or use dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons granulated or caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 180 ml ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch in USA) mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry

Beef:

• 400 g (14 oz) beef steak sliced into thin strips, against the grain *see note 1
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Also:

• 1 pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed/avocado or other neutral oil
• 1 onion peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
• 1 red bell pepper deseeded and chopped into chunky pieces
• 1 green bell pepper deseeded and chopped into chunky pieces

To serve:

• Boiled rice
• Sliced spring onions scallions
• Mixed sesame seeds

Instructions:

Soaking the black beans:

1. Start by soaking the fermented black beans. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for one hour.

Velveting the beef:

1. Now velvet the beef. Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda.

2. Rub the bicarbonate of soda into the beef so it’s thoroughly coated.

3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Thoroughly rinse the beef in cold water, drain, then pat dry with kitchen towels. Place in a bowl, ready to use in your stir fry.

Making the black bean sauce:

1. Once the beans have soaked for an hour, drain and thoroughly rinse them.

2. Place the drained black beans in a bowl and give them a bit of a mash with the back of a fork. I like to mash up about three-quarters and leave the rest whole.

3. Add the sesame and rapeseed oil to a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat.

4. Add the garlic, ginger and black beans and fry for one minute, stirring often, until fragrant.

5. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, pepper and stock.

6. Stir together, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced.

7. Stir in half the cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce. Add more if you'd like the sauce thicker, then turn off the heat.

Bringing it all together:

1. Toss the tenderised beef in the salt and pepper.

2. Heat the two oils oil in a wok over a high heat.

3. Add the beef and fry, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, until the beef is just cooked.

4. Add the onion, red and green peppers and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until slightly softened.

5. Add the black bean sauce, fry, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce is heated through.

6. Serve over boiled rice, topped with spring onions and sesame seeds.