Black Bean Beef Stew

Growing up, we used to have Chinese-food quite often. It was always one of my favorite treats. I’m a child of the 80’s, and back then Chinese-food was in ( I don't think has never been out!).

My family and I would go at least once a week to a close by restaurant and get the "chicken in it's nest", and the times we did not eat out, we cooked it at home.

I still remember all the tools, the wok, the bamboo spatula; it was all so amusing to me.

I was especially surprised at how fast we were always done and how incredibly complexed the flavors were.

One dish that won my heart as an grown up has to be the black bean beef stew.

I know once you read the ingredients list, you may be quite overwhelmed. However, most of the things can keep for long and you can make this recipe many, many times; and believe me, once you learn how to do it, you'll be cooking it often. That I can promise!

This recipe yields 4 portions.

Ingredients:

300gr. rump steak, sliced

Cooking oil

1 large onion (sliced)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)

5 fresh ginger (in slices)

1 green bell pepper (seeded and sliced)

10 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

1.5 tablespoons salted black beans

3 stalks green spring onion (cut into 3 cm pieces)

1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing cooking wine)

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of white pepper

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

Directions:

1. Stir-fry in the cooking oil: the beef, onion, garlic ginger, green onion, red bell pepper. No more than 7 minutes. Then, add: black beans, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, rice wine, cornstarch, oil, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper and the oyster sauce. Cook for 5 minutes and it is ready to serve.

Tips:

1. Salted black beans can be found at Asian grocery stores usually sold in bags.

2. This dish on it's own is a treat, quite often I pair it with white steamed rice.

Enjoy!