Go Back
–+ servings
Cambodian Black Pepper Beef

Cambodian Black Pepper Beef

Catalina T
This delicious Cambodian Black Pepper Beef stir fry is a must-try. Tender beef in a savoury pepper gravy served on a bed of crisp salad.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Cambodian
Servings 5 Servings
Calories 321 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the marinade

  • 800 gm rump steak (sliced against the grain into bite-sized pieces) (NOTE 1)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • ½ tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda) (NOTE 2)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (NOTE 3)
  • 3 tsp whole black peppercorn (grinded or 1 tsp ground black pepper) (NOTE 4)

For the stir-fry

  • 2 tbsp peanut oil (or any neutral tasting oil)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tsp cornflour (or cornstarch)
  • ½ brown onion (sliced into thin wedges)

For the dipping sauce

  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp whole black peppercorn (grinded or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper)

For the salad and garnish

  • iceberg lettuce (broken up roughly)
  • tomatoes (sliced thinly)
  • cucumbers (sliced thinly)
  • spring onions (green onions, scallions sliced thinly)

Instructions
 

  • Marinade the steak - In a large bowl, place in the steak with all the marinade ingredients. Combined well and set aside whilst preparing the other ingredients.
    marinade the steak
  • Stir-fry sauce - In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar, water, cornflour. Dipping sauce - In a separate small bowl, mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved. Set both sauces aside.
    sauce
  • Heat oil over high heat in a large wok or a deep frying pan. Place the steak and its marinade into the pan. Stir-fry until the meat has mostly browned all over. Give the 'stir-fry sauce' a quick stir and pour it into the wok with the steak. Once the sauce has slightly thickened, add in the onion and cook for a minute.
    Cambodian Black Pepper Beef
  • To serve, place the steak and its sauce over a generous bed of iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers. Garnish with spring onions and serve with rice and pepper dipping sauce.
    Cambodian Black Pepper Beef

Notes

(NOTE 1) Steak - I used budget-friendly rump steak and trimmed most of the fat off. Flank, Sirloin, porterhouse, fillet or tenderloin are also great choices for stir-fries.
(NOTE 2) Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) - It's not common to use bi-carb to tenderise meat (velveting) in Cambodian cuisines, but I added a small amount to the marinade. This helps soften the steak and make it juicy. There's no need to rinse the meat before cooking and you won't be able to taste it.
(NOTE 3) Light soy sauce - or regular soy sauce but avoid the dark or sweet soy sauce varieties, as these are not interchangeable.
(NOTE 4) Whole black peppercorn - Using whole black peppercorn results in better flavour and aroma than pre-grounded pepper. I grounded mine in a mini food processor until it resembled cracked pepper. The best way to crush whole peppercorns is by using a mortar and pestle, but a coffee/spice grinder would also work great.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 38gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 1447mgPotassium: 693mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 4mg