Cycle 17 – Item 81
Post 5,925
27 (Fri) March 2026
Beef with Broccolini in Black Pepper Sauce
2.5
by me
at home
-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with W and IZ
As previously mentioned but not really described (see generally 15.246 Mongolian Beef), the secret to making super tender Chinese-style beef (or chicken) is velveting. After the meat is sliced into thin pieces, they’re marinated in a slurry comprising corn starch + water + oil + seasonings (e.g., oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper) + baking soda. The baking soda prevents the muscle fibers from contracting/condensing during the cook, thus keeping the meat soft and loose. Further, the cornstarch seals in the water and oil to provide additional moisture, as well as the seasonings for deeper flavor. The meat can be cooked directly into a stir-fry or initially parfried in oil to create crispy crust that holds sauce that much better.
Don’t have a set recipe as yet, but careful to use just 1/2 tsp of baking soda per 250 grams of meat, or else it’ll leave a metallic aftertaste. About 2 tablespoons of corn starch + 1 tablespoon of water + 1 tsp of canola oil. For seasonings, about 1 combined tablespoon of oyster sauce / light soy sauce / dark soy sauce + 1/2 tsp of white pepper. 30 minutes seems to work, though sources suggest better results after 1 hour, or even 24 hours.
The beef turned out amazing, as did the broccolini.
Alas, the sauce wasn’t so great. Using the packaged base from Jumbo Seafood, which has worked okay in other applications (see most recently 16.258 Oxtail in Black Pepper Sauce), it was overpowering here. In fairness, I’d simmered the sauce for only a few minutes, not enough time for the pepper to mellow out. Anyway.
(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)
(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See HANSIK)
(See BOOZE)