Instead of flash cooking the meat, like a Chinese pepper steak, cook the meat low and slow until it melts in your mouth. This Jamaican style pepper steak ends up with tender strips of beef in a tasty, savory sauce, with colorful bell peppers cooked to sweet perfection. I have been cooking this dish for years, and it’s about time I present it to my readers. You will absolutely love this beef dish, which is not the usual stir fry pepper steak. The meat is braised in a soy-tomato-beef broth sauce for almost an hour. This creates the tasty morsels that are incredibly tender, with one amazing tangy savory sauce.
What is Pepper Steak?
Pepper steak originated in China, but is a popular stir-fried Chinese-American dish. It has thinly sliced steak pieces that are stir-fried to a beautiful, juicy texture. The meat is cooked with a savory sauce along, with red and green bell peppers. Most of the times, the beef that is used is meant for flash cooking, like flank steak or rib eye. Contrary to that, sirloin or top round cuts are traditionally used for Jamaican pepper steak, and these cuts need more cooking and simmering than prime cut. Usually, the beef takes 30-40 minutes to cook until it is tender. Beef strips are cooked along with onion and garlic (sometimes ginger too) in a beef broth + tomato + soy + hot sauce mixture that yields a tasty, savory stewed dish.
Ingredients for Jamaican Pepper Steak
Steak – We are using sirloin steak cut into strips, which is considered one of the best steaks for making this dish. You can also use flank steak or round steak.Veggies – Onions, bell peppers (the more colors, the prettier it will look).Aromatics and seasonings – Garlic, soy sauce, beef broth, hot sauce, salt, pepper, sugar.Diced or crushed tomatoesOil
How to Make Pepper Steak, Jamaican style
Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the meat, along with some of the garlic, in two batches. Plate it out. In the same pan, sauté the onion for couple of minutes. Add in the rest of the garlic and give it a stir. Add in beef broth, soy sauce, sugar, and hot sauce. Stir to deglaze the pan, then add browned beef along with tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for one hour, or until beef is tender. Stir the mixture every now and then. If the sauce is getting too dry, you can add in 1/2 cup of water. Add in bell peppers and cook for 8- 10 minutes, or until they are to your desired tenderness. TIP: If you want a thicker sauce, stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix until smooth. Slowly stir this cornstarch mixture into meat and vegetable mixture until the sauce is your desired thickness. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Variations
There are many versions of this popular dish all over island, from one chef to other. Ingredients such as thyme, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, and scallions often find their way into this dish. Try adding any of them to the mix, to get a little different flavor.
Storing the leftovers
This dish lasts beautifully up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator, stored in an air tight container. So go ahead and make a big batch, if you are looking for a meal prep idea for the week. Similarly, it can be frozen up to a couple of months in the freezer. Simply thaw overnight, then reheat it either on stove top or in the microwave. Give these island flavors a try the next time you’re wondering what to cook with that sirloin you have in the freezer. Sure, it takes little more time than the conventional stir fry pepper steak, but the outcome is totally different in terms of flavors and textures. Let’s us know if you like this new spin on your regular pepper steak. Personally, we are craving some beef. We have been in India for almost one and a half months with no access to beef, as India is predominantly a non beef eating county. So we know this is one of the dishes we will be cooking very soon. By the way, lots of India stuff, and posts on India, coming in the near future. Stay tuned, and take care…
Jamaican Pepper Steak, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great Caribbean inspired dishes!Caribbean Coconut MusselsTrini Curry ChickenJamaican Curry ChickenBahamian Boiled FishRasta PastaCarne GuisadaJerk Marinade
