Flank steak is something I hardly ever cook in China, mostly because I am almost never in the vicinity of a good butcher. But last weekend, I decided to treat myself to a massage to help with a sore back. Walking out blissful and somewhat painfree, I realized I was near Boucherie Michel, the only place in town where I could find quality cuts of meat and imported cheeses and wine and pricey organic food. (How I miss the days when I could pop down to the Fairway in West Harlem for all my grocery needs.)

I bought 200 grams of flank steak and made a stir-fry with peppers and onions. The sauce is relatively easy: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and most importantly, a copious amount of freshly ground black pepper. In fact, the only thing tricky about this dish in slicing the beef thin enough, which is made easier if you pop the meat in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes beforehand. Then just slice at an angle, perpendicular to the grain; doing so shortens the muscle fibers and makes the meat less chewy when cooked.

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Black Pepper Beef Stir-fry

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Marinade:
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
A few generous twists of the pepper grinder, or 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 pound flank steak
1/2 yellow onion

1 small to medium bell pepper (choose your color)
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

Mix together the ingredients for the marinade. Add the flank steak and marinated, chilled, for 1 hour.

Mix together ingredients for the sauce. Thinly slice onions and bell pepper.

Thinly slice flank steak, perpendicular to the grain.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Drain excess marinade off the beef. When wok just begins to smoke, add beef and stir-fry until just cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.

Heat another tablespoon of oil to the work. Add onions and peppers and stir-fry until they begin to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Return beef to the wok. Add 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine to deglaze, then add sauce and mix well to coat.