Shanghai Steak
This mind-blowing meal features ultra-tender angus steak, caramelized onions, sweet bell peppers, and a satiny, savory, black pepper sauce.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf Meyer Natural Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.
This dish is sometimes referred to as “black pepper steak”. And since there are 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper in the sauce, the dish is aptly named! The black pepper adds a wonderful nutty quality to the sauce, without being overpowering. You can adjust the amount you use to suit your needs, but trust me, 2 teaspoons is perfect.
For perfectly tender steak, marinate it first. This isn’t crucial, especially when using nicely marbled angus steak. But it’s a simple first step that produces tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. And you can multitask! While your steak is marinating for 15 to 20 minutes, you can make the sauce and chop the bell peppers and onion!
Adding cornstarch to the marinade guarantees great caramelization. This genius culinary hack is regularly used in Asian cooking, and it yields steak that’s extra tender and velvety.
This shimmering sauce perfectly balances sweet and savory. This amazing sauce delivers the ideal commingling of a variety of elements. Salty soy sauce, sweet sherry and brown sugar, nutty sesame oil, and earthy black pepper – and they come together to create a glaze that hits your palate from all sides.
What steak should you use? Angus steak is ideal for this dish! Angus steak has even marbling throughout, which guarantees tender meat. I chose Meyer Natural Angus because their angus is 100% USA born, raised, produced, and humanely handled. Plus, Meyer Natural Angus is all-natural (meaning, minimally processed with no artificial ingredients), and contains no added hormones or antibiotics. EVER.
I had Meyer Market premium cuts shipped right to my door! How convenient is that? I put two Meyer Natural Angus USDA Prime Top Sirloin Steaks in the fridge to defrost and put the remaining angus (USDA Prime Filet Mignon, USDA Prime New York Strip, and USDA Prime Ribeye in the freezer for a future meal). Whether you’re planning a rustic gathering outdoors, or preparing something elegant for date night, having a fridge and freezer stocked with premium, high-quality angus is always a good idea.
Shanghai Steak
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry, divided, or cider vinegar, or white vinegar
- 1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices (I used two 8-ounce steaks)
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 bell peppers, any color or a variety of colors, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium onion, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the sherry. Add the steak slices and stir to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining cornstarch, remaining soy sauce, remaining sherry, beef broth, black pepper, sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak to the hot oil and sear on all sides. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan and set the pan over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the beef broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and forms a glaze. Return the steak to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate. Toss to combine and cook for 1 minute to heat through.
- Serve the steak and vegetables over rice and top with green onions (if using).