See Jup Ngau Yook - fried beef in a black bean sauce

Ingredients

• 500 gbeef
• 1½ tbspfermented black beans
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 1 tbspdark soy sauce
• 4 tbspbeef stock
• 1 tsppalm sugar
• 1 tsp, mixed with 2 tbsp watercornflour
• 1 tspsesame oil
• 2 tbspoil

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the ingredients

   Cut the beef into very thin slices. Slice the garlic thinly.

2. 2

   Mix the sauce

   Mash the fermented black beans, then mix them with the dark soy sauce, beef stock and palm sugar.

3. 3

   Fry the beef

   Heat the oil and sesame oil in a pan. Fry the beef until it changes colour.

4. 4

   Add the garlic

   Add the sliced garlic to the pan and fry it with the beef.

5. 5

   Add the sauce

   Pour in the black bean mixture and bring it to the boil.

6. 6

   Simmer the beef

   Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and stew for 5 minutes.

7. 7

   Thicken and serve

   Stir the cornflour mixture into the pan and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Serve.

What is See Jup Ngau Yook?

See Jup Ngau Yook is a beef dish cooked with fermented black beans, garlic and a dark, savoury sauce. The name and the recipe's black bean and soy flavours point to a Chinese-influenced style of cooking found across Asian food traditions.

This version keeps the sauce simple: stock adds savouriness, palm sugar rounds out the salty flavours, and a cornflour slurry gives it enough body to coat the beef.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1750 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The beef provides most of the protein, while the oil and sesame oil contribute most of the fat. The palm sugar and cornflour add a small amount of carbohydrate, and serving the dish with rice will add substantially more. Pair a portion with vegetables and adjust the rice to suit your appetite.

Choosing the ingredients

Beef: Choose a cut that can be sliced thinly, and cut across the grain where possible for a more tender bite.

Black beans: Use fermented black beans, not dried black turtle beans. Mashing them helps spread their salty, savoury flavour through the sauce.

Stock and soy: The stock loosens the mashed beans, while dark soy sauce brings colour and depth. Taste the finished sauce before adding any extra seasoning, as the beans and soy are already salty.

Getting the beef ready

Thin slices: Aim for slices of similar thickness so they cook at much the same pace. If the beef is difficult to cut, briefly chilling it can make slicing easier.

Hot pan: Heat the oil before adding the meat, and give it room to change colour rather than crowding the pan. If necessary, fry the beef in batches.

Building the sauce

Garlic: Add the sliced garlic after the beef has changed colour, as the recipe directs. Fry it briefly with the meat before adding the bean mixture.

Black bean mixture: Bring the sauce to the boil, then cover the pan and simmer it over low heat for 5 minutes. Mix the cornflour with water first so it can be stirred in smoothly.

How to judge the finish

Beef: The recipe gives a colour cue for frying the beef and a 5-minute covered simmer. Thin slices should cook quickly, so avoid extending the simmer unnecessarily.

Sauce: Stir continuously after adding the cornflour mixture. It is ready when it thickens and coats the beef rather than sitting as a thin liquid in the pan.

Timing and preparation

The stated total time is 60 minutes, including preparation. Slicing the beef and garlic and mixing the sauce before heating the pan makes the short cooking stages easier to manage.

Have the cornflour slurry mixed and ready before the beef simmers. Stir it again just before adding, as cornflour can settle in the water.

What to serve with it

Serve the beef and sauce with steamed rice to catch the savoury juices. Plain rice also gives the salty black bean and soy flavours room to stand out.

For a fuller meal, add a simple side of greens or other vegetables. Keep their seasoning modest so it does not compete with the sauce.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the beef thinly and evenly so it cooks at a similar rate.
• Mash the fermented black beans well to distribute their flavour through the sauce.
• Prepare the sauce mixture and cornflour slurry before you start frying.
• If the pan is crowded, fry the beef in batches so it can change colour properly.
• Stir the slurry immediately before adding it to the pan.
• Taste the sauce before serving, bearing in mind that fermented black beans and dark soy sauce are salty.

Variations

• Add spring onions: Slice them and scatter them over the dish just before serving.
• Include ginger: Add a little finely sliced ginger with the garlic for a warmer aromatic note.
• Use another cut: Choose a tender beef cut that can be sliced thinly across the grain.
• Add vegetables: Stir-fry sliced peppers or greens separately and serve them alongside the beef.
• Adjust the sauce: Use a little less black bean mixture for a milder, less salty result.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Thick beef slices: They take longer to cook; slice the meat as thinly and evenly as possible.
• Crowded pan: The beef may steam instead of changing colour; cook it in batches if needed.
• Burnt garlic: It can taste bitter; add it after the beef changes colour and fry it briefly.
• Lumpy sauce: Cornflour added dry can clump; dissolve it in the stated water before stirring it in.
• Over-thickened sauce: It can become pasty; stop stirring once it thickens and coats the beef.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently asked questions