Black pepper beef cubes with onion and celery
Beef fillet cubes seared hard, then tossed with onion, celery and black pepper sauce — punchy with rice, without lots of oil.
- 30 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Medium
Why it suits you: Blood-stasis types often have a dull complexion, cold hands and feet and fixed, stabbing pains. Black pepper and onion are pungent and warm and move qi to help the blood flow, celery calms the liver and beef nourishes qi and blood; when qi moves, blood follows, and a little spice in muggy Grain Buds also wakes the appetite.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 10 min- 1Mix the beef with the soy sauce, sugar, cornflour and 1 tbsp water and leave for 15 minutes.
- 2Spread the beef in a hot oiled wok and sear until browned on all sides and about 70% cooked, then remove.
- 3Fry the garlic, then add the onion and celery and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- 4Add the black pepper, oyster sauce and 2 tbsp water, bring to the boil, return the beef and toss over high heat.
Cautions
- Black pepper is hot; go easy with a sore throat, mouth ulcers or a flare of piles.
Chef's tips
- Sear the beef over high heat in small batches so it browns instead of stewing.
The TCM view
Beef is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen and boosting qi and blood. Onion is pungent and warm, regulating qi and dispersing stasis; black pepper is pungent and hot, warming the middle and directing qi downwards. Celery is sweet and cool, calming the liver and clearing heat, which tempers the pepper. Together they move qi and blood and warm the middle.
