The Best Sweet Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

• 700 gr. flank steak
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 cm ginger root, peeled
• 7 tablespoons lightly salted soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup beef broth
• 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. l. rapeseed oil (canola)
• Half a medium white onion
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Chopped green onions for sprinkling
• Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling
• Rice as a side dish

Preparation:

1. Freeze the steak until the meat is firm enough to easily slice thinly, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Finely grate 2 cloves of garlic into a large bowl. Peel the ginger and cut it in half. Finely grate one of the ginger halves and place it in the same bowl; set the remaining ginger aside. Add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, 1.5 teaspoons of sugar, and a few turns of the black pepper grinder. Stir and set aside.
3. Thinly slice the steak across the grain at a slight angle into 0.5 cm thick strips. Cut any longer pieces in half; the strips should be no longer than 10 cm. Add to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. About 30 minutes before serving, use tongs to transfer the steak to a large baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and arrange it in a single layer. Place paper towels on top to absorb any excess marinade. Set aside to come to room temperature.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the beef broth, sesame oil, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and a couple of turns of the black peppercorns; set aside.
6. Chop the remaining 2 garlic cloves and place them in a small bowl. Chop the remaining ginger and add it to the same bowl. Set aside.
7. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add one-third of the steak strips in a single layer and cook until well-browned on one side, about 1 minute. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a large plate. Cook the remaining steak in two more batches, adding 1.5 teaspoons of oil per batch. Transfer to a plate.
8. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the onion and a splash of water to the empty pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits and stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the red and green bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently and adding a splash of water if the bottom of the pan starts to burn, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute.
9. Return the steak to the pan and stir. Mix the cornstarch with the sauce, then pour it into the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the steak and peppers to a large serving platter and top with sliced ​​green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately with rice on the side.