Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Noemie

Really good recipe! I added more cabbage per suggestions, doubled the spice mix, and added chicken stock thickened with a bit of cornstarch at the end to make a bit of sauce. The chicken stock helped to deglaze the pan a bit too. I didn't have sherry vinegar but apple cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar worked out well. Also, as a tip, putting the beef in the freezer for about 20 minutes will help make the thin slicing easier. Next time I may add sliced red onions to the pan for more flavor.

Kevin Osinski

Not in my experience. Thinly sliced as specified and stir-fried on high heat for about 5 minutes, it will be crispy, starting to brown, and cooked just enough to lose its bitterness and turn a little sweet. It’s my favorite way to cook green cabbage. Try it!

Steve

I'll take whatever heat, spice, salts, alliums, cheeses, alcohols, and vinegars you don't want.

Boyd Tracy

Disagree with Leslie ....you want the cabbage crispy!

Steve

Surprised by some of the lukewarm reviews - one of the best NYT recipes I've made recently. Easy, healthy, and filing, where don't even need the rice. The recipe is written a little strangely and seems to assume people today don't have Asian equipment/ingredients. I used a wok. Use a mortar/pestle for peppercorns and sesame. I've never owned sherry vin., so subbed half rice wine vin. and shaoxing (often see this sub suggested the other way). Re: the great cabbage debate, 5 min was fine for me!

Adam

This was outstanding and I actually made it with sliced chicken breast because that’s what I had. I also added half a diced onion and some julienned carrots along with the cabbage to up the veggie content. Otherwise made as written. The coating kept the chicken nice and juicy. I like this recipe during Covid times because I’m only shopping once every 2 weeks, and cabbage keeps forever in the fridge. A good dish for one of the last nights of a shopping cycle.

Joseph

I added a grating of ginger and really loved it with the peppery spice.

Carol

I know many families with young children who like spice and heat. My now-9-year-old was enjoying pickled jalapeños, bleu cheese, and Sriracha at 2. For her third birthday she requested smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches with red onion. Her current favorite food is salmon roe nigiri sushi...and her palate isn’t exactly jaded.In my experience, children who are fed only bland foods will only like bland foods. To each their own. Reduce or eliminate ingredients you don’t like.

WK

My partner & I made this last night with a few changes. Used Napa cabbage, sliced on the bias. Pounded a little more garlic (5 cloves) to a paste with salt for the marinade. Used 2 tbsp of coarsely ground pepper (from a mill), & did not attempt the crushing of sesame seeds with fingertips or nails. A mortar seemed saner. 4 - 5 hours of marinating, & delicious. Will certainly make again!

Alexa Weibel, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

I made this recipe exactly as is and it is SPECTACULAR! I suppose I may have to make one change next time, since my husband and I devoured it all at once: I’ll double the entire recipe so I end up with leftovers to look forward to!

Rohn Jay Miller

This is an interesting opportunity to use Chinese Szechuan peppercorns, which are central in @clarkbar's delicious "Cumin Lamb Stir Fry:" (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/dining/a-lamb-at-play-in-a-field-of-cumin.html) These peppercorns have a strong flavor, so use less, more like 1 teaspoon rough ground in this recipie.

Lily

This would be a good review without negative assumptions about why others like ingredients that do not please you. But also it's a fairly adaptable recipe, for instance, with my preference of pork tenderloin over beef sirloin.

Sharon

Zowie! Simple and delicious. I might use a little less salt and oil next time. I also cooked the steak and cabbage less than indicated, given my very hot cast iron frying pan, and thinly sliced steak and cabbage. It was a perfect, fast, delicious, and healthy meal.This is the easiest stir-fry that I know.

secrawford77

The cabbage is supposed to be "crisp-tender". Any longer than 7 minutes and it would be soggy, which would not work well with stir fry.

Deb

It was solid - good. My cast iron was very gooky tho!

SUSAN SPONAR

Loved this. Next time I’ll cut some of the pepper and add a little more cornstarch.

Rosemary

I made this exact according to the directions and was honestly pretty underwhelmed. I wanted more variety of flavor - more vinegar, more soy, more garlic. But the black pepper overwhelmed it all. I ate it with kimchi and that helped, but I probably won’t make it again.

Terri

This was delish! Had a leftover cabbage that needed release from my fridge. Also added some onion to the stir fry and some snow peas that were on their last legs. So good! So simple for a Tuesday night. Pepper Pepper Pepper! Yum.

Lulu Doesn’t Cook

Heck yeah! Doubled the cabbage - it never got crispy but that’s my stretch goal for next time. And there will be a next time. Any hints to make it crispy?

courtney k

Cut the peppercorn amount in half - still strong flavor but less of a kick and less munching on full peppercorns!

ADR

I did this in a wok. I think I cut the cabbage (on a madoline) way to thin b/c it steamed and was mostly soggy. Added red onion. Also added a few sichaun peppercorns per another note here -- really nice gentle tingle. Also added some Zhong sauce -- can never go wrong there. Would try this again with thicker cabbage.

Anne

One of the easiest, most delicious recipes on NYT. My boyfriend and I make this two or three times a month. I sometimes add bell pepper or snow peas along with the cabbage if I have some I need to use up. If you do add more veggies, I’d up the vinegar and spices a bit. We always make white rice on the side. Such a satisfying dish!

Colleen

So yummy! I cut the salt in half and added a titch more soy sauce.

LF

Added Ginger to cabbage CilantroSchezuan peppercorns

deej

really good and easy. I followed what another user said and cooked the cabbage first, added red wine vinegar (all I had) and salt, removed it and then added it back after the beef was done. I’m in Mexico so I used tasajo. Didn’t have brown sugar so I did half maple syrup half white sugar. turned out great! Very forgiving recipe if you need to make substitutions

Jo

Delicious and a great recipe to replace a takeout craving. I roughly doubled the recipe and used 3/4 a head of Napa cabbage. When I make this again, I’ll use standard green cabbage as the recipe suggests, as I felt the Napa cabbage released too much liquid and lost texture

Mike

Cooking the cabbage first in a very hot pan with a little oil gives that caramelized result that really pumps up the flavor. Remove it when crispy and lightly charred. Then cook the beef. Then add the cabbage back.

Robert M.

We used flap steak instead of sirloin and it was great. (We typically use flap for any beef stir fry.) We also substituted about a dozen Szechuan peppercorns into the black peppercorns before grinding; added a little different heat.This was pretty much spot-on to the best black pepper beef I've had, which was in a really nice Chinese place in Bengaluru a few years ago.

Kate

Great easy recipe, I would add more brown sugar next time because it needed a touch more sweetness

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Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make stir fry beef so it's tender? ›

How to tenderise beef – easily!
  1. Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
  2. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Rinse, pat off excess water.
  4. Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
Feb 23, 2019

What is the best beef for stir fry? ›

What Cut of Beef Is Best For Beef Stir-Fry? Flank steaks are the most popular choice for making a stir-fry. However, you can also use sirloin steak, skirt steak, Denver steak, or even beef chuck. Beef chuck steak is the most economical choice, but it does require some extra trimming.

How do you make beef strips not chewy? ›

The best way to slice beef

They're naturally tough, but you can make things less chewy by cutting 'against the grain' (slices with short muscle fibres are easier to chew). If you cut with the grain, each slice is made up of long muscle fibres that are harder for your teeth to break down.

How long does it take to cook beef strips? ›

Place a large non-sick pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp. olive oil Add steak strips to pan. Stir occasionally until no pink remains and steak strips reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees, 4-6 minutes.

How do you tenderize and marinate beef for stir fry? ›

Tenderize: In a bowl, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda over the beef and coat evenly with soy sauce, salt, starch, and oil (and optional ingredients, if using). Marinate: After sitting in the mixture for 15 to 30 minutes in the fridge, your beef is ready for stir-frying!

What is the secret ingredient in stir fry? ›

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

What are the 3 rules of stir-frying? ›

Food & Dining

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

How do Chinese restaurants make their beef so tender? ›

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

Does beef get less chewy the longer you cook it? ›

Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender.

Why is my stir fry beef so tough? ›

Don't Overcook

Thinly sliced beef only needs to be briefly seared on a hot pan before it's browned and cooked through, about a few minutes. Once the beef is browned on all sides, it is done and can be removed from the pan. Don't overcook the beef, or it will become tough.

How do you tenderize beef before 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.

Is cornstarch or baking soda better for tenderizing meat? ›

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.

Does baking soda tenderize meat? ›

Yes, beyond its clever cleaning uses and role as a staple baking ingredient, baking soda can also be used to tenderize steak. Or any meat, really. According to professional chef and Taste of Home food writer Lindsay Mattison, it's a surprisingly effective method.

Do you need to rinse baking soda off meat? ›

Just as you would with dry brining, rinse your meat until it's (mostly) free of all the baking soda.

How do you make stir-fry not chewy? ›

Use tender, quick-frying meats or tofu. Meats such as chicken breast, shrimp, boneless pork or sirloin steak are all great for stir-frying. If the meat isn't tender, the pieces will become tough and chewy from being cooked too fast.

How do you make beef real tender? ›

7 Ways to Tenderize Steak
  1. Pounding. Using a meat mallet (or kitchen mallet) to pound steaks helps soften and tenderize the meat. ...
  2. Salting. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, but especially tougher cuts. ...
  3. Marinating. ...
  4. Velveting. ...
  5. Slow Cooking. ...
  6. Enzymatic Application. ...
  7. Scoring.
Oct 18, 2022

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