Stir-fried beef with pickled peppers is a delightful dish commonly found in authentic Hunan restaurants. We once visited a restaurant that pickled its own peppers for this very recipe.
A Hunan Beef Stir-Fry
Our love for Hunan cuisine runs deep. Until recently, we had a fantastic Hunan restaurant nearby, and its closure was a shock to our family. This restaurant introduced us to the wonderful combinations of unique chilies and pickles.
It inspired many of our favorite recipes, including Steamed Tilapia with Duo Jiao Salted Chilies, Fluffy Chinese Scrambled Eggs with Salted Chilies, and Pickled Long Beans with Ground Pork.
Hunan cuisine is known for its bold and spicy flavors, utilizing an abundance of chilies, garlic, ginger, and pickled or fermented ingredients such as black beans and preserved meats. This recipe embodies those characteristics with aromatic ginger, garlic, fiery Thai bird’s eye chilies for heat, and pickled peppers for a milder tang, making the beef irresistibly delicious. It’s a perfect dish to enjoy with a bowl of rice or quinoa!
When Life Gives You Pickled Pepperoncini Peppers…
This recipe originated from an attempt to recreate a Hunan-style beef stir-fry. A visit to our local Chinese grocery store in search of small yellow Chinese peppers (泡小米辣 – pào xiǎomǐ là) proved fruitless that day.
This is a common challenge we face at various Asian grocery stores. Due to the quirks of the distribution network on the East Coast, certain ingredients can be elusive. After considering my options, I decided to substitute with jarred golden pepperoncinis, readily available at any grocery store.
While the original millet peppers are spicier, I was primarily after that pickled flavor. To my delight, these pepperoncinis, often used on Italian subs or Philly roast pork sandwiches, were a fantastic alternative—mildly spicy with a delightful vinegar kick and conveniently pre-sliced for easy cooking.
Mastering the Stir-Fry
This dish is simple to prepare but emphasizes the importance of knowing the correct order to add ingredients to the wok. The beef is marinated and velveted first, then pre-seared. After that, the aromatics are added to the wok with oil, followed by the celery, which requires a bit more cooking time. Finally, the beef and seasonings are added, with the pepperoncinis going in last.
As you gain experience with stir-frying, you’ll become familiar with this sequence:
- Marinate the meat
- Pre-sear the meat and set aside
- Infuse oil with aromatics
- Add longer-cooking vegetables
- Add quicker-cooking vegetables
- Season and add sauces
- Return the meat to the wok
- Stir-fry and thicken sauces if necessary
And then serve!
Let’s Make this Beef with Pickled Peppers!
Start by adding the sliced beef to a medium bowl. Mix in the baking soda, cornstarch, water, oil, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Allow the beef to marinate for about 20 minutes, or up to overnight.
Next, heat a wok over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the oil, ensuring it coats the wok evenly. Introduce the beef, spreading it into a single layer. Once seared on one side, stir-fry until medium-rare, then transfer it back to the marinating bowl, leaving any oil in the wok.
Add the ginger to infuse the oil, followed by the garlic, Thai chilies, and celery. Stir-fry for one minute, then pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.
Use your wok spatula to deglaze the pan. Return the beef to the wok along with the sugar, white pepper, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce. Stir-fry to combine, then add the pepperoncinis and stir-fry once more.
Plate the dish and serve it with steamed rice!
