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Classic Cantonese Stir-fried Beef & Bitter Melon with Black Bean Sauce

Name: Classic Cantonese Stir-fried Beef & Bitter Melon with Black Bean Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: cantonese
Ingredients: bitter melon; fresh beef; Garlic; fermented black beans; diced bird's eye chili; soy sauce; chicken powder; white pepper powder; cornstarch; cooking wine; water; oil; Salt; sugar; oyster sauce; dark soy sauce; sesame oil

groups3 servingsspeedMediumcountertopsPrep: 30 minsskilletCook: 7 minsscheduleTotal: 37 minsoutdoor_grillStir-frylocal_fire_departmentMild

Allergens:warningSoywarningMolluscs

Allergen labels are AI-generated and may be incomplete or wrong. If you have a food allergy, always verify every ingredient yourself.

Recipe details are AI-generated from the video and may contain errors — for reference only.

skilletInstruction

7 Steps Total

Preparation

00:01:11

warningStay safe

Watch your fingers when using a cleaver to chop ingredients, and do not rub your eyes after handling chili peppers or it will cause irritation.

Cut off the ends of 1 bitter melon, cut it in half lengthwise, use a spoon to remove the seeds completely, then cut each half into two strips. Hold them down and slice diagonally into skin-on bitter melon pieces. Peel and smash 5 cloves of garlic, then mince. Soak and drain appropriate amount of fermented black beans and chop them slightly. Remove seeds from 0.5 chili pepper and slice finely.

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Watch out

Keep your fingers flat and steady when slicing the bitter melon diagonally to ensure even thickness, otherwise it won't cook evenly.

Ingredients:bitter melon (1 piece)Garlic (5 piece)fermented black beansdiced bird's eye chili (0.5 piece)

Tools:cutting boardcleaverspoon

Waiting Time

00:02:44

warningStay safe

Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw beef to prevent cross-contamination.

Slice 12 oz beef across the grain after removing fat, place in a bowl, add 1.5 tsp soy sauce, 1.33 tsp chicken powder, a pinch of white pepper, 0.75 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 tsp cooking wine. Gradually add water in 2-3 batches, kneading by hand until fully absorbed, then coat with a little oil and marinate for at least 25 minutes.

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Watch out

Add water gradually and knead until fully absorbed when tenderizing the beef, otherwise it will release water during stir-frying and become tough.

Ingredients:fresh beef (12 oz)soy sauce (1.5 tsp)chicken powder (0.33 tsp)white pepper powdercornstarch (0.75 tsp)cooking wine (1 tsp)wateroil

Tools:metal bowl

Active Cooking

00:04:07

warningStay safe

Be careful of steam and hot water splashes when draining, otherwise it will cause burns.

Boil a pot of water first. Heat the wok, add plenty of oil, add bitter melon, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt, stir-fry, pour in the boiling water, cover and boil for about 1 minute until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water to maintain bright green color.

local_fire_departmentHigh heat

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Watch out

Cover and boil over high heat for about 1 minute

do not cook too long or the bitter melon will turn yellowish and lose its crisp texture, otherwise the dish will fail

Ingredients:bitter melonsugar (2 tbsp)Salt (1 tsp)oilwater

Tools:saucepanwokstrainer

Active Cooking

00:05:13

warningStay safe

Hot oil may splatter when adding raw meat to a hot wok, keep a safe distance to prevent oil burns.

Reheat the same wok, add a little oil. Put in the marinated beef slices, spread them out immediately without rushing to stir. Sear the first side until aromatic, flip to the other side, cook until about 70% done, and remove and set aside, otherwise overcooking will make the meat tough.

local_fire_departmentMedium-high heat

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Watch out

Do not stir-fry the beef immediately after putting it in

spread it out to set first before flipping, otherwise the meat will break apart and lose juices

Ingredients:fresh beefoil

Tools:spatulawok

Active Cooking

00:05:39

Use the same wok with a little oil, sauté the minced garlic first until fragrant, then add the fermented black bean pieces and chili strips to stir-fry together, keeping the movements in the center of the wok.

local_fire_departmentMedium heat

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Watch out

Do not use too high heat when sautéing garlic and black beans, and stir in the center of the wok, otherwise they will scatter to the edges and burn easily.

Ingredients:Garlicfermented black beansdiced bird's eye chilioil

Tools:wok

Active Cooking

00:06:09

Add bitter melon after the aromatics are fragrant, stir-fry over high heat. Add cooking wine and about 4 tbsp water, then season with 0.33 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar to balance bitterness, 0.5 tsp chicken powder, a pinch of white pepper, 1.5 tsp oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce for color. Return the cooked beef to the wok and stir-fry evenly over high heat.

local_fire_departmentHigh heat

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Watch out

Fermented black beans are naturally salty, so be careful to reduce the amount of added salt, otherwise the dish will become too salty.

Ingredients:bitter melonfresh beefcooking wine (1 tsp)water (4 tbsp)Salt (0.33 tsp)sugar (1 tsp)chicken powder (0.5 tsp)white pepper powderoyster sauce (1.5 tsp)dark soy sauce (1 tsp)

Tools:wok

Active Cooking

00:07:08

warningStay safe

Use heat-resistant gloves or a thick cloth when moving the hot wok to prevent severe burns.

Pour in cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce so it clings to the ingredients (you can turn off the heat first if unsure). Finally, turn off the heat, drizzle with a little sesame oil, mix well, and serve.

local_fire_departmentLow heat

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Watch out

Lower the heat or turn it off when adding cornstarch slurry to prevent lumps, and turn off the heat before adding sesame oil, otherwise the aroma will evaporate.

Ingredients:cornstarchwatersesame oil (0.5 tsp)

Tools:platewok