Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Stir-fried Beef with Bitter Melon in Black Bean Sauce
豉汁涼瓜炒牛肉
Recipe overview
This classic Hong Kong stir-fry pairs thin beef slices with bitter melon, garlic, ginger and fermented black beans. Salting and briefly blanching the bitter melon reduces some bitterness but keeps a crisp bite. Quickly stir-fry the beef so it stays tender, then finish it until fully cooked.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 350 g beef tenderloin or beef slices
- 1 bitter melon, about 400 g
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans
- 10 g ginger
- 3 tbsp oil
- 60 ml water
Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt Bitter melon preparation:
- 2 tsp soy sauce Beef marinade:
- 1 tsp oyster sauce Beef marinade:
- 1/2 tsp sugar Beef marinade:
- 1/8 tsp white pepper Beef marinade:
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine Beef marinade:
- 1 tsp cornstarch Beef marinade:
- 1 tbsp water Beef marinade:
- 1 tsp oil Beef marinade:
- 1 tsp soy sauce Black bean sauce:
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce Black bean sauce:
- 1/2 tsp sugar Black bean sauce:
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce Black bean sauce:
- 60 ml water Black bean sauce:
- 1 tsp cornstarch Slurry:
- 1 tbsp water Slurry:
02
Tools
- cutting board
- knife
- 2 large bowls
- 2 small bowls
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- soup pot
- colander
- colander
- wok or frying pan
- wok or frying pan
- spatula
- paper towels
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Step 1
Slice beef against the grain to about 3 mm; separate pre-sliced pieces stuck together.
Step 2
Mix beef with soy sauce
Mix beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch and water in one direction until absorbed; mix in oil and marinate 15 minutes.
Step 3
Wash bitter melon
Wash bitter melon, halve lengthwise, scrape out seeds and white pith, then cut 4 mm diagonal slices.
Step 4
Step 4
Toss bitter melon with salt for 10 minutes, rinse with water and drain.
Step 5
Mince garlic
Mince garlic, slice ginger and quickly rinse, drain and roughly chop fermented black beans.
Step 6
Mix soy sauce
Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce and 60 ml water for sauce; separately mix cornstarch and 1 tbsp water for slurry.
Step 7
Step 7
Blanch bitter melon in rapidly boiling water for 45 seconds, remove and drain completely; do not soften it.
Step 8
Heat wok over high heat 1 minute
Heat wok over high heat 1 minute, add 2 tbsp oil and spread beef slices out; sear 20 seconds before stir-frying.
Step 9
Stir-fry over high heat 1–1
Stir-fry over high heat 1–1.5 minutes until about 80% cooked: mostly brown outside with a little pale pink centre, then remove immediately.
Step 10
Step 10
Add remaining oil to the same wok on medium heat. Stir-fry ginger, garlic and fermented black beans 30–40 seconds until fragrant, not burnt.
Step 11
Add blanched bitter melon
Add blanched bitter melon, stir-fry 1 minute over medium-high heat, pour in black bean sauce and stir-fry 1 minute; do not return beef yet.
Step 12
Step 12
Return beef and toss over high heat 30–45 seconds. Re-stir slurry and add slowly until sauce lightly coats. Beef must be fully changed in colour, with no pink raw meat or raw juices, before plating.
Common mistakes
- Cutting with the grain makes beef tough.
- Unabsorbed marinade releases water.
- Leaving white pith makes it more bitter.
- Over-blanching makes bitter melon soft.
- Cooking beef fully first makes it tough after return.
- Overcrowding steams beef.
- Burnt black beans and garlic taste bitter.
- Unstirred slurry forms lumps.
Tips
Scrape white pith well. Rinse after salting. Blanch briefly and drain. Remove beef at 80% cooked. Finish quickly until fully cooked. Fermented black beans are salty. Stir slurry and add little by little. Keep bitter melon's natural slight bitterness; do not cover it with too much sugar.
