Stir-fried beef with pickled peppers is a dish you might see at a very legit Hunan restaurant. We had one such restaurant, who pickled their own peppers for their version of the dish.
We wondered if we could recreate it…with humble jarred pepperoncinis that you can find in any grocery store. Well folks, we did just that. And it’s pretty great.
A Hunan Beef Stir-Fry
We absolutely love Hunan cooking. Until recently, we had an absolute gem of a Hunan restaurant near us (it was a shock to the family system when we all found out this restaurant had closed) that introduced us to the glories of unique chili/pickle combinations.
That restaurant was the starting point for such recipes as Steamed Tilapia with Duo Jiao Salted Chilies, Fluffy Chinese Scrambled Eggs with Salted Chilies, and Pickled Long Beans with Ground Pork.
Hunan cuisine is characterized by bold, spicy flavors, with liberal use of chilies, garlic, ginger, as well as pickled, preserved or fermented ingredients like fermented black beans, preserved or smoked meats, and yes, pickled chilies.
This recipe has many of those characteristics, with aromatic ginger, garlic, spicy fresh Thai bird’s eye chilies for a pure heat, and pickled peppers for a mellower tang to make beef that much tastier. This is definitely a dish you can crush a bowl of rice (or quinoa rice) with!
When life gives you pickled pepperoncini peppers…
This recipe began as an attempt to make a Hunan-style beef stir fry. I went to our local Chinese grocery store in search of small Chinese yellow little peppers (泡小米辣 – pào xiǎomǐ là in Mandarin), but they were nowhere to be found that day.
This is a problem we sometimes run into at the various Asian grocery stores we frequent. Through whatever quirks of the Asian grocery distribution network here on the East Coast, it can be hard to find certain ingredients. I mulled over my options, and thought of a substitute—golden pepperoncinis, jarred and pickled, from a run-of-the-mill grocery store.
The original little millet peppers are quite a bit spicier, but the main thing I was after was that pickley kick! Happily, I found that these peppers, which you might sprinkle on top of your Italian sub or perhaps a Philly roast pork sandwich, were a wonderful substitute. Not too spicy with plenty of vinegar-y goodness—and pre-sliced to boot! They can go straight into the wok.
Mastering the Stir-Fry
This dish isn’t complicated to make but it does demonstrate the importance of knowing when to add what into the wok. The beef is marinated and velveted first. Then, it’s pre-seared. From there, the aromatics go into the wok with oil, followed by the celery, which takes a little longer to cook. Add the beef back with the seasonings, and add the pepperoncinis last.
As you cook more stir fries, you’ll learn the sequence:
- Marinate meat
- Pre-sear meat and set aside
- Infuse oil with aromatics
- Add longer-to-cook vegetables
- Add shorter-to-cook vegetables
- Season / add sauces
- Add the meat back
- Stir-fry / thicken sauces if needed
And serve!
Let’s Make this Beef with Pickled Peppers!
Add the sliced beef to a medium bowl. Add the baking soda, cornstarch, water, oil, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. The beef should marinade for about 20 minutes or up to overnight.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it’s just starting to smoke. Add the oil, spreading it evenly around the wok. Add the beef, spreading it out in one layer. When it’s seared on one side, stir-fry to cook until it’s medium-rare. Transfer back to the marinating bowl (it will get cooked again), leaving any oil behind.
Add the ginger, and let it infuse the oil. Add the garlic, Thai chilies, and celery. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.
Use your wok spatula to deglaze the pan. Add the beef back, along with the sugar, white pepper, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Stir fry to combine. Add the pepperoncinis and stir-fry to combine.
Plate and serve with steamed rice!
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Recipe
Beef with Pickled Peppers
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 1 pound flank steak (thinly sliced against the grain)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon oil (any neutral oil, such as avocado, vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
For the rest of the dish:
- 2½ tablespoons neutral oil
- 1- inch piece of ginger (cut into thin slices)
- 6 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
- 5 Thai bird’s eye chili peppers (you can also use red holland peppers for a milder flavor)
- 1 cup celery (cut into thin 2-inch/5cm lengths on a diagonal—both Chinese celery and regular celery work well)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- ⅓-½ cup pepperoncini peppers (thinly sliced; this is a substitute for spicier Chinese yellow pickled xiaomila peppers – 泡小米辣 – if you have these spicier Chinese variety, use 5-10 peppers, to taste)
Instructions
- Add the sliced beef to a medium bowl. Add the baking soda, cornstarch, water, oil, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Marinate for 20 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it’s just smoking. Add the oil, spreading it evenly around the wok. Add the beef, spreading it out in one layer. When it’s seared on one side, stir-fry to cook until it’s medium-rare. Remove from the wok, leaving any oil behind.
- Add the ginger, and let it infuse the oil. Add the garlic, Thai chilies, and celery. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok. Use your wok spatula to deglaze the pan. Add the beef back, along with the sugar, white pepper, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Stir-fry, then stir in the pickled peppers. Serve!
