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.

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!

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!

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.

Dan

I really liked this recipe. It was simple and well constructed. I didn’t scan my fridge well before buying the ingredients and I found out when I started to prep that I was out of Soy Sauce (impossible, I know!). I substituted Worcestershire Sauce equally and it still came out great. I had a lonely zucchini in the fridge so I sliced it up and cooked it with the cabbage and it added a nice crunch without overwhelming the rest of the dish. I plan on adding this recipe to my permanent rotation

Mom24

I really enjoyed this. Made for a quick and delicious lunch. I used about a teaspoon and a half of coarsely ground pepper instead of whole peppercorns, smashed, because I did not want to chew large pieces of peppercorn. Other than that made as written. Def recommend.

em

So delicious! Made exactly as written using a wok. Will double next time to have bigger portions for our family of 2 adults, 2 kids. Even the moderately picky child asked for seconds. One note: Next time, I’ll shred the cabbage wider and cook for less time. 5 minutes in the pan was too much and we prefer it crunchier. Toasting the sesame seeds was worth it!

Jennifer

I made this with chicken instead of beef. It was very good! Will come back to it for quick weeknight dinners.

Reminders

Double spice for steak!!

LizzieMac

This was very good. Made almost as written, except more garlic (about 8 cloves total), and added a pint of button mushrooms. Used Szechuan peppercorns. Will absolutely make again. Hubs loved it.

Elaine G

I liked this, but felt the amount of crushed black peppercorns was too much. I would try it again with maybe a 1/2 teaspoon of GROUND black pepper. (Crushed leaves too much of the intensity which overpowered the flavors of everything else in this dish.) But I will try it again!

tintin

A few things didn’t work for me. Steak cook time seemed too long as it was very tough. Also, I like black pepper, but this was just too much. And agree that the cabbage cooks down so could be increased. Sauce flavor was nice so I’ll try again perhaps with slightly thicker slices, shorter cook time, and half the pepper and add more at the end if needed.

Padré J

Delicious, and easy. My only change was to use more garlic and pound of beef. I'll make this again, soon.

Andrew C

Delicious. I added grated ginger, Birds Eye chili and shallot. Great weeknight meal.

Jane L.

This was delicious. I made it with already cooked boneless ribeye steak. I used red cabbage because that it what I had and apple cider vinegar. Great way to use leftover steak. We loved it.

Alyssa

Fantastic recipe!!! If able, have your butcher thinly slice the steak for you. I always struggle with cutting my steak correctly so this just makes the process even quicker! I used tapioca starch in place of cornstarch, coconut sugar in place of brown sugar and coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. Will be on rotation around here!

Stewart M.

Excellent stuff, and super easy and quick! I used a cheaper flank steak, and it still turned out beautifully. I also mistakenly thought I had soy sauce at home when I, in fact, did not, so I hurriedly threw 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and two dollops of sweet BBQ sauce instead. It was still fantastic! (Though I bet the soy sauce is better and less heavy than the BBQ sauce...). I plan to make this part of my regular rotation, and next time, I'll probably add additional vegetables to the stir fry.

Jo F.

Since discovering this recipe 2 years ago I've made it with minced meat as well as sliced (beef, lamb, pork and duck, when I happened - for unknown reasons - to have a spare leg). I've used Napa (called Sweetheart in the UK), Savoy and white cabbage, and mixed in Szechuan peppercorns with the black. Because I'm allergic to alliums, a large knob of ginger, grated, replaces the garlic, and chopped parsley or coriander the scallions. I halve the sugar. And there are *never* leftovers. EVER.

Deb

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

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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

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 to tenderize flank steak for stir fry? ›

One of the things I learned from this book is how to cook flank steak for a stir fry. Rather than just slicing it and throwing it in, take a little bit of time to marinade it and add a pinch of baking soda. Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by actually changing the composition of the meat fibers.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

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!

How to cook beef strips on stove? ›

Cooking the Beef Strips
  1. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add a drizzle of oil.
  2. Once the oil is shimmering hot, add the beef strips in a single layer.
  3. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, flipping them occasionally, until they are browned and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
Feb 19, 2024

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.

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.

Does beef get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

It depends on what cut of beef and how you cook it. If you take a tough cut of meat and cook it at a low heat with liquid it will become tender but this takes some time. If you take a more tender cut of meat and cook it for a long time with high heat it will become dry and hard.

How do you not overcook beef strips? ›

Make thin cuts about 1/4 inch or thinner. Thin strips of beef are best because they won't take long to cook. The thinner the beef, the more tender it will taste and the less chewy it will be. Thicker strips require longer cooking times, which usually means the outside is overcooked by the time the inside is cooked.

Does soy sauce tenderize steak? ›

Here are the results: Both steaks were indeed tenderized - the one that went in the salt is, as in our previous test, the winner. But the soy sauce one was close, and the soy gave it a deeper, richer flavor. How do you tenderize your steaks?

What is the secret to cooking flank steak? ›

Rub a flank steak with olive oil, season it with salt and pepper and slide it onto a foil-lined sheet pan for easy cleanup. Then just broil it until it's medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes. No flipping needed.

How do you make beef super tender? ›

Marinate

Not only does marinating infuse flavor, but it can tenderize too. A key ingredient in most marinades is acid (in the form of vinegar, citrus juice or yogurt) that starts to "cook" or break down the meat before it hits the heat. Just don't let it marinate too long or you can over-tenderize and end up with mush.

Do you need to rinse baking soda off meat? ›

Allow the meat to soak in the baking soda solution for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the liquid and briefly rinse the meat in plain water to strip off the baking soda solution (or as much of it as possible). Cook as desired.

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.

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