When I was a kid my mother made pepper steak on a regular basis. She'd use a round steak and cook it too hot and too fast so it was always tough as could be - but it tasted mighty good. I hadn't thought of it in years until a few days ago. The sirloin steak is much more tender, and because the recipe only calls for 1/2 pound it's pretty cheap. Don't be tempted to add more meat, the steak is only one ingredient. (Larger image.) Serves 2 as a one-course meal.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb. sirloin steak; cut into thin strips across the grain
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 green bell pepper; cut into 1/2-inch-square pieces
- 1/2 md. red onion; cut into 1/2-inch-square pieces
- 1 garlic clove; chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped, cooked spinach
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 cup beef stock
- 2 tsp. oyster sauce
Preparation:
1. Pat strips of steak dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
3. Stir-fry steak until browned but still pink inside, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add peppers and onion to skillet and stir fry stir-fry for 5 - 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
5. Add spinach and a couple of tablespoons of water and cook 1 minute longer.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, cornstarch, beef stock, and oyster sauce.
7. Return steak to skillet and stir in soy sauce/cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened - about 3 minutes. Serve over rice.