Chinese-American · main
Pepper Steak
Pepper Steak reads umami 8.4, salinity 5.5 and richness 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 9.3 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 3.7 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 1.2 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 8.4 · Salinity 5.5 · Richness 5.4 · Allium 4.1 · Sweetness 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 3.0 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Floral 1.0 · Sourness 1.0 · Fruity 1.0 · Bitterness 0.9 · Heat 0.9 · Nutty 0.9 · Earthy 0.8 · Citrus 0.6
What's in it (16)
- flank steak — 454 g
- soy sauce — 44 g
- cornstarch — 30 g
- shaoxing wine — 15 g
- baking soda — 3 g
- vegetable oil — 41 g
- bell peppers — 300 g
- yellow onion — 110 g
- garlic — 12 g
- ginger — 15 g
- low-sodium beef broth — 118 g
- oyster sauce — 15 g
- black pepper — 7 g
- granulated sugar — 4 g
- salt — 3 g
- scallions — 200 g
Time & effort: about 23 min (8 min active) · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 107.1 kcal, 7.6 g protein, 6.2 g fat, 5.7 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (7 steps)
- In a medium bowl, toss the beef strips with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, the Shaoxing wine, and the baking soda until evenly coated. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes — this velvets the beef so it stays tender through the hot sear.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, the beef broth, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sugar until smooth; set the sauce aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until it shimmers and just starts to smoke. Add the beef in a single layer and sear undisturbed until deeply browned on the first side, about 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and sear 1 minute more — the center should still look slightly pink. Transfer the beef and any juices to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan. Add the bell peppers and onion and stir-fry over high heat until crisp-tender with lightly charred edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Return the beef and its juices to the pan. Whisk the sauce once more and pour it in. Toss everything constantly until the sauce turns glossy and thickened and the beef strips are no longer pink in the center (about 145°F), 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Scatter the scallions over the top and serve immediately over steamed rice.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Black Pepper Beef Stir-Fry — Chinese-American
- Pork Tenderloin Teriyaki Recipe — Japanese
- Chinese Stir-Fried Pork — Chinese
- Beef Curry With Onions — Indian
- Hunanese Chicken with Fresh Green Chillies (Xiang La Ji) — Chinese · Hunan
Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.