Skinnymixer’s Black Pepper Beef features in the cookbook The Healthy Mix Dinners.

This recipe is an absolute restaurant quality, flavour packed dish – and with the instructions teaching you how to velvet your own cheaper cuts of beef at home, it’s an amazing budget alternative to expensive steaks for tenderness. Check the tip out for instructions.

How to velvet a budget cut of meat to make it tender

Want to know how to turn a budget chewy cut of beef into a tender fall apart.

Choice start out by identifying which way the grain of your meat is running using a sharp knife, slice your beef into thin stir fry strips, trim off any excess fat or hard sinew.

Budget types of beef that are great for velveting are round brisket, blade, top side or pre-cut stir fry strips from the supermarket.

But other proteins like lamb pork and chicken also work. Coat with two teaspoons of bi-carb soda combine well and let it sit for 30 minutes, rinse well and then pat dry before proceeding with the recipe.

What you will need:

Beef Stock Concentrate (p.x)
coconut sugar or brown sugar
cornflour mixed with 2 Tbsp water
cracked black pepper
fresh ginger
garlic
green capsicum
olive oil
red capsicum
rice wine vinegar
rump steak
sesame oil
shallot
soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

This page exists to help people find what cookbook the Black Pepper Beef is in and also to provide a basic shopping list for when you are out and about and have forgotten your eBook or shopping list. (Handy I know!). Plus extra recipe information – tips, FAQs and videos.

The Healthy Mix Dinners Contents

Tips & Dietary Needs

Velveting Tip – When using a cheaper cut of beef, such as round, brisket, blade, topside or pre-cut stir fry strips, coat with 2 tsp bi-carb soda. Combine well, let it sit for 30 min, rinse well and pat dry before using in the recipe.
Super Skinny – Replace beef with chicken breast and cook using the conventional method.
Low carb – Use compliant sweetener. Replace cornflour mixture with ½ tsp xanthan gum sprinkled in.
Paleo – Replace cornflour mixture with ½ tsp xanthan gum sprinkled in. Replace rice wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
Go vegetarian – Vegetarian Variation: Replace meat with sliced mushrooms and other stir fry vegetables. Use vegetable stock concentrate. You may need to add a splash of water depending on your vegetables.
Low Fodmap – Omit garlic. Use garlic infused olive oil and compliant stock concentrate. Replace shallot with spring onions (green part only). Replace green capsicum with green beans.
Halved/Doubled – This recipe can be halved or doubled. To double, use the conventional or slow cooker method.

How to Cook

Mince the garlic, ginger, and shallot, and coarsely crack the black peppercorns. Chop the capsicum into bite-sized pieces and prepare your cornflour slurry. Toss the beef strips in a little sauce to marinate briefly before cooking.

Conventional: High and fast is the key. Sauté your minced aromatics and cracked pepper in a hot wok or large frying pan with a splash of oil until fragrant. Add the beef strips and flash-fry until browned. Toss in the capsicum pieces along with the sauce liquids and stock, then pour in the cornflour mixture, stirring constantly for a minute or two until the sauce bubbles, thickens, and turns beautifully glossy.
Slow Cooker: Opt for diced gravy beef (do not velvet), double the recipe but halve the water and use 2–3 tsp pepper. After Step 1, add all ingredients except for capsicum and cornflour mixture. Cook on low for 6–8 hr. With 30 min left to go, add remaining ingredients.
Dump Bag Prep: Combine your raw sliced beef, minced aromatics, cracked pepper, and the savory sauce base ingredients together in a freezer bag (keep the capsicum and cornflour separate for fresh cooking). Freeze flat, and thaw completely in the fridge before flash-frying on the stovetop.

How to Serve

Serve hot over a steaming bed of jasmine rice, fried rice, or a low-carb alternative like cauliflower rice or a simple stir-fry of Asian greens.

Storage & Meal Prep

Fridge: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (the peppery sauce deepens beautifully when left overnight).
Freezer: freeze cooked portions for up to 3 months.
Freezer Dump Bag (Uncooked): store your uncooked dump bag in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before cooking.

What the Community Thinks

Here are some direct quotes from the home cooks in the comments section of the Black Pepper Beef:

Mel: “That bi-carb velveting tip is an absolute game changer! I used a super cheap cut of round steak and it turned out as tender as eye fillet. Incredible flavour too!”
Chris P.: “This completely satisfies my local Chinese restaurant cravings. It’s got that perfect peppery kick without being oily. The whole family polished it off.”
Anonymous Reviewer: “Tried the slow cooker adaptation with gravy beef tonight because I wanted a hands-off dinner. Doubling it worked perfectly and the meat just pulled apart in the thick pepper gravy.”
Sam: “Super quick and easy for a Tuesday night. I did the chicken breast swap to keep it skinny and it was delicious. Will definitely be adding this to the regular rotation.”