I was once asked for “PF Chang’s” clone recipes. I thought it was a cute idea, so I set out to create a batch of recipes based around those flavors and cooking techniques. Here I present a really nice “Black Pepper Beef” — a slightly sweet and spicy beef stir-fried with broccolini and finished with a glucomannan thickened coconut aminos sauce (glucomannan is a naturally occurring fiber which comes from the “konjac plant”). The glucomannan is completely optional to the recipe, but that little tiny bit of fiber will thicken the sauce, allowing it cling to the beef and broccolini florets. It’ll also resemble the PF Chang’s tastes and textures … just.that.much.more.
Click Here To Pin Black Pepper Beef & Broccolini
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb (681g) Tender Boneless Beef (such as rib eye or tenderloin), cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 lb (454g) Broccolini, cut into florets and pieces about 1-inch (2.5cm) long
- 1 small (110g) Red Onion, diced
- 4 cloves (12g) Garlic, Minced
- 1 tbsp (6g) Fresh Ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp (6g) Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tsp (5g) Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1/4 cup (63.75g) Coconut Aminos
- 1/4 cup (58g) Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30g) Granulated Sweetener - for sugar-free I recommend Swerve or Birch Xylitol
- 1/4 tsp (1g) Glucomannan Powder
- 1 tbsp (14g) Coconut Oil
- 2 tbsp (24g) Black Sesame Seeds (or white)
- Celtic Sea Salt, to taste
Directions
- In a large sized mixing bowl, combine beef, broccolini, diced onions, garlic, ginger, black pepper and sesame oil.
- Add some salt, to taste, and combine the mixture. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, sweetener and glucomannan powder.
- Whisk until the glucomannan and sweetener are dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat a large wok over high heat (if you do not have a wok, this can be done in two large sauté pans, placed over two hot burners).
- This is intended to be done VERY fast, over very high heat. If the pan is not hot enough, or too many ingredients are added, then the pan cools down and the food “steams”, rather than sears.
- Once your wok, or two pans, are very hot, add coconut oil and quickly swirl to coat the bottom.
- Immediately add the beef mixture, evenly spreading the ingredients along the bottom of the wok, making a single layer.
- Allow the ingredients to sear for about 1 minute.
- Mix the ingredients and spread them back into a single layer.
- Repeat this process, evenly searing the mixture and then mixing, again.
- The beef will overcook quickly, so this should only take about 3 minutes, in order to maintain a nice medium-rare.
- Once everything has been quickly seared, pick up the coconut amino mixture. Give it one last mix, to make sure any glucomannan or sweetener hasn’t stuck to the bottom.
- Pour it evenly over the ingredients. It should immediately boil.
- Toss the ingredients to coat with the mixture. Allow the mixture to continue cooking for about 2 more minutes, mixing occasionally.
- After no more than about 6 or 7 total minutes, the sauce should be nicely thickened and the beef should be about a medium-rare.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with cauli-rice
Notes
I used a cubed rib eye steak in this recipe, but any tender cut will do quite nicely. Tenderloin, flat iron, New York, and flank would also be nice alternatives.
Click +1 Below. What is your favorite P.F. Chang's inspired dish?
