Beef in Black Bean Sauce

Another one of those Chinese dishes, like Sweet & Sour, which I had never tasted before until I came to the UK. Can anyone confirm if this is as popular in the far east as it is here in the UK?

The trick to restaurant quality black bean sauce is.... wait for it .....

...NOT TO USE BLACK BEAN SAUCE! :))

Ok, what I really meant was that you shouldn't use black bean sauce bought off a supermarket shelf. Instead, I simply marinate the beef with oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and bits of chopped garlic and a few fermented black bean.


Then, in a smoking hot wok, I fry some chopped garlic and a tsp of black beans, then add the beef and quickly fry it, adding the veg shortly before it becomes completely brown. Then add stock and cornflour to make up a sauce, and salt and/or sugar to taste. The better the quality of beef, the more tender it is. If you can afford it, use sirloin or fillet of beef.


So, in essence, I did not use "black bean sauce" at all, just a sauce with some black beans in it. Fermented black beans should always be used sparingly as the flavour is too strong and salty. Crushing too many into a sauce will also give it a bitter taste. Hence, I prefer just to just lightly flavour the stir fry dish with the beans.

Quick Beef Rendang

When in a hurry and want some authentic Malaysian grub, Brahim sauces are a godsend! This classic dish is made so simple with this sauce. This particular version has even been specially packed for the UK, as you can see from the picture. It may say "Indonesian", but it is exactly the same as the ones you get at Giant in the Blue / Orange pack. It is available at some of the bigger conventional supermarkets, like Sainsburys.

Typically, I like to embellish cooking sauces to give it a more unique taste, in this case, the addition of curry leaves, capsicums and fresh tomatoes.