BLACK BEAN BEEF
Juicy beef in black bean sauce makes an easy weeknight meal, and a much more nutritious alternative to takeout.
Adding a couple of extra ingredients to pep up store-bought sauce provides a good compromise between flavour and getting dinner on the table quickly.
You can easily swap veggies depending on your preferences and what’s available at your local store. Sugar snap peas make a nice alternative to green beans.
If you don’t like microwave rice, you can cook your own using your preferred method (although you will need to start brown rice a little earlier, as it will take longer than the rest of the meal to cook).
BLACK BEAN BEEF
Juicy beef in black bean sauce makes an easy weeknight meal. Adding a couple of extra ingredients to pep up store-bought sauce provides a good compromise between flavour and speed!
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 5 Tbsp black bean sauce
- 3 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
STIR FRY
- 550 g beef sirloin or rump steak (1lb 3oz)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour
- 1 head broccoli
- 250 g green beans (8.8oz)
- 250 g button mushrooms (8.8oz)
- 1 brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil, divided
TO SERVE
- 2 x 250 g microwave packets brown rice (2 x 8.8oz)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
MAKE SAUCE
Place all sauce ingredients in a bowl or jug and stir until well combined.
PREPARE STIR FRY
Slice steak into thin strips. Place in a resealable bag or container, season with salt and pepper and add cornflour. Shake until well coated.
Chop broccoli into florets, trim ends off beans and quarter mushrooms. Slice onion into thin wedges and crush garlic.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large wok or frying pan on high. Add half of the beef and stir fry until just browned all over. Remove from pan and repeat with another 1/2 tablespoon oil and remaining beef. Add final 1/2 tablespoon oil to wok and stir fry broccoli, beans, mushrooms and onion until just tender. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add beef and any juices back into pan, then pour in sauce. Simmer rapidly for a couple of minutes.
COOK RICE
While sauce is simmering, cook rice according to instructions on packet.
SERVE
Divide rice between warmed serving bowls or plates. Top with black bean beef. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A Shiraz or Sangiovese.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Choose a gluten-free black bean sauce and use gluten-free cornflour.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: Feel free to switch out the veggies according to your preferences. Sugar snap peas would be a nice alternative to green beans.
STORING AND REHEATING: Ideally, refrigerate black bean beef separate to rice to prevent the rice soaking up all of the sauce. Reheat in the microwave.
