Chefs' Recipes

Kylie Kwong's beef with black bean and chilli sauce

"This Cantonese classic needs no introduction, and needs little in the way of tweaking to bring it up to date," says Kylie Kwong.

By Kylie Kwong
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 5 mins cooking plus marinating
  • Serves 4
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"This Cantonese classic needs no introduction, and needs little in the way of tweaking to bring it up to date," says Kylie Kwong. "It's all about fresh ingredients and using the best beef you can find. It's a versatile sauce, so wallaby, pork, chicken or noodles also work well in place of the beef. It's the ultimate all-rounder."

Ingredients

  • 600 gm beef fillet, cut into 1cm slices
  • 80 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced
  • 2½ tbsp julienne ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp salted black beans (see note)
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 50 ml light soy sauce, or to taste
  • 1 tbsp malt vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
  • ½ red capsicum, thinly sliced
  • Thinly sliced spring onion, to serve
Beef marinade
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp white sugar

Method

  • 1
    For marinade, combine Shaoxing, sugar and 1 tsp sea salt flakes in a large bowl. Add beef, stir to coat and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • 2
    Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat until surface shimmers, then add half the beef and stir-fry until just cooked (30 seconds). Remove with a slotted spoon and sear remaining beef.
  • 3
    Add remaining oil, onion, ginger, garlic and black beans to wok and stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds). Return beef to wok, add Shaoxing wine and stir-fry to combine (30 seconds). Add soy, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil and stir-fry for another minute. Add chilli and capsicum, stir-fry until just softened (30 seconds) and serve hot scattered with spring onion.

Notes

Salted black beans, fermented and salted soy beans, are available from Asian grocers.