Perfect Homemade Chinese Style Beef in Black Bean Sauce – it’s rich and delicious – full of umami flavor.
I’ll show you how to do that most tender velvet beef – even with a cheap cut of beef, and too How to make your own black bean sauce.
If you’re short on time, I’ve included a shortcut that also allows you to use store-bought sauce!
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I love the hearty, rich flavor of beef in black bean sauce, even if it takes a little more preparation than other stir-fries (especially if you make it yourself). Black bean sauce), It is actually quite simple.
The gravy can be made ahead of time, or you can make it as part of this recipe (apart from the hour it takes to soak the beans, the rest of the gravy comes together in minutes).
We’ll also use a simple trick to tenderize or the beef “savory”.so it’s wonderfully soft – just like in a Chinese restaurant.
📋 What do we need?
For the black bean sauce
(or substitute with 250ml store-bought black bean sauce)
- The black bean sauce is made by pre-soaking fermented black beans (<-- affiliate link) Soak in water for an hour.
- Then we rinse the beans, drain them and mash them up a bit with a fork.
- Next we fry the garlic, ginger and the black beans in some sesame oil and neutral oil.
- Add rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, pepper and broth and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, then stir in some cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
- This sauce is now ready to use.
I wrote a full post on black bean sauce in case you want more information on the sauce and fermented black beans.
For the beef
- I use rump steak, thinly sliced against the grain.
- We velvety the beef by mixing it with 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Rinse the beef in cold water to remove the bicarb.
- Pat dry with paper towels and use according to your recipe.
I wrote a full post on how to velvety beef in case you want more information on the process, how it works, and why you should do it.
Fry the remaining ingredients while stirring
Now the black bean sauce is prepared and the beef is tenderized bring everything together with the rest of the ingredients.
- Season the tender beef in black pepper and a small pinch of salt (we don’t need a lot of salt as the sauce is salty enough).
- Fry the beef in some oil. I like to use a mixture of sesame oil and neutral oil (e.g. avocado or canola oil).
- Add chunks onions and peppers and fry for a few more minutes.
- Add the black bean sauce and heat for a minute.
- Serve with rice. I also like to sprinkle some chopped scallions (scallions) and mixed sesame seeds on top.
📺 Check out how to make it
For the full recipe with detailed steps, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP When you mash the fermented beans for the black bean sauce, leave some whole so you get those nice black bean flecks in the pan.
🍽️ What to serve it with
🍲 More amazing stir fry recipes
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Beef in black bean sauce
How to prepare perfect Homemade Chinese Style Beef in Black Bean Sauce. Use my homemade or store-bought black bean sauce recipe for a delicious umami-flavored stir fry.
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak Black Beans:
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Start by soaking the fermented black beans. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for an hour.
4 tablespoons fermented black beans
To make the beef velvety:
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Now the beef velvet. Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle with baking soda.
400 g (14 oz) beef steak, 1 teaspoon baking soda
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Rub the baking soda into the beef, completely covering it.
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Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Rinse the beef thoroughly in cold water, drain and then pat dry with kitchen towels. Place in a bowl and use immediately for frying.
Preparation of the black bean sauce:
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Once the beans have soaked for an hour, drain and rinse thoroughly.
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Place the drained black beans in a bowl and mash lightly with the back of a fork. I like to puree about three quarters and leave the rest whole.
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Place the sesame seeds and canola oil in a small saucepan. Heat on medium heat.
1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon canola oil
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Add the garlic, ginger, and black beans and fry, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 minute.
3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
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Add rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, pepper and broth.
2 tablespoons Shaoxing Chinese Rice Wine – or use dry sherry, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons granulated or powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 180 ml ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
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Stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until liquid has reduced slightly.
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Stir in half of the cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Add more if you want the sauce thicker, then turn off the heat.
1 tablespoon cornmeal (cornstarch in the US)
Bring everything together:
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Season the tender beef with salt and pepper.
1 pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Heat the two oils in a wok over high heat.
1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon canola/avocado oil or other neutral oil
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Add the beef and sear, stirring frequently, until the beef is just cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
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Add the onion, red and green peppers and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly tender.
1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper
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Add the black bean sauce and sauté, stirring frequently, until sauce is heated through, 1-2 minutes.
Surcharge:
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Serve over cooked rice, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.
Cooked rice, sliced spring onions, Mixed sesame seeds
✎ Notes
Substitute 250ml store-bought black bean sauce for the black bean sauce in this recipe. *taste tip* – Check the ingredients on the side of the bottle. If it doesn’t contain garlic and ginger, add 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon minced ginger to the pan at the same time as the onions and peppers.
Don’t want to make the beef velvety?
The velveting process is needed for cheaper, tougher cuts of meat to make them more tender.
If you don’t want the beef to be velvety but still want it to be tender and juicy, you’ll need to opt for a more expensive cut of steak — such as ribeye or sirloin. Before using, cut the steak into thin strips against the grain.
Nutritional information is a guide per serving (this recipe serves 4 people) – Rice NOT INCLUDED.
Nourishment
Calories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 14GProtein: 27GFat: 30GSaturated Fatty Acids: 8thGPolyunsaturated fat: 7GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 12Gtrans fats: 0.01GCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 1083mgPotassium: 463mgFiber: 3GSugar: 6GVitamin A: 1060IUVitamin C: 65mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg
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