How to Make the Best PEPPER STEAK in Your City
Your City: This Pepper Steak is tender, saucy, and loaded with crisp-tender peppers...perfect over rice or noodles.
What Most People Don’t Know About Making PEPPER STEAK
- Seasoning Stick Trick: After marinating, pat the steak just enough to remove excess liquid but keep it slightly tacky. This helps seasoning adhere and builds a better crust.
- Split Your Aromatics: Put half the garlic and ginger raw into the sauce for mellow background flavor; cook the other half with the veggies to build layers.
- Save the Fond for Last: Deglaze after the vegetables cook so the fond from both meat and veggies enriches the sauce instead of being lost early.
Ingredients
-
Beef + Marinade
- 1¼ lb flank steak or sirloin, sliced thin against the grain
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
- ½ tsp sugar or honey
- Bald Buck Seasoning to taste
-
Sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup chicken broth (or more beef broth)
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2–3 Tbsp honey (to taste)
- ½ of the minced garlic (about 1½ cloves)
- ½ of the minced fresh ginger (about ½ tsp)
- ½ tsp hot sauce (optional)
- 2 Tbsp cold water + 2 Tbsp cornstarch (for slurry)
-
Stir-Fry Veggies
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- Optional: mushrooms, snap peas, carrots
-
For Cooking
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine or extra broth (for deglazing)
- Remaining garlic and ginger (minced)
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
- Optional: season beef or finish the dish with Bald Buck Seasoning to boost savory depth.
Instructions
- Prep the Steak: Slice beef thinly against the grain. Mix with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and pepper; marinate 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep veggies and whisk all sauce ingredients except the slurry. Stir in only half the garlic and ginger now; reserve the rest.
- Season the Meat: Remove meat from marinade. Lightly pat, just enough to stop dripping but keep the surface slightly damp. Toss evenly with Bald Buck Seasoning.
- Sear the Meat: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until just smoking. Sear steak in batches without crowding, ~2–3 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate to rest.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil, then onions and peppers; stir-fry ~2 minutes. Add reserved garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze the Pan: Pour in wine or broth; scrape up fond from the bottom. Let reduce slightly, about 1 minute.
- Add Sauce & Thicken: Stir in the sauce mixture; bring to a gentle simmer. Re-stir the slurry and drizzle it in while stirring. Simmer 1–2 minutes until thickened; lower heat as needed to prevent scorching.
- Finish the Dish: Return steak and any accumulated juices to the pan; toss to coat. Warm 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust—more soy for salt, honey for sweetness, or a splash of vinegar/lime for brightness. (Optionally finish with a pinch of Bald Buck Seasoning.)
- Serve: Spoon over rice or noodles. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, or chili flakes if desired.
