Back in 2011, I posted a 30 minute recipe for Beef in Black Bean Sauce. Back in 2011, not many of ye paid any attention to anything I cooked or posted about. Shame on you. But, now that you are older and, obviously, wiser (You are reading this are you not?), I am very happy to present you with a simpler, even faster to prepare, Beef in Black Bean Sauce.
Back in the day, I had a more elaborate ingredients list. Now, I am more of a purist (I didn’t have any ginger or chilli in the press). Here’s my very fancy ingredients shot. I didn’t do this stuff back in ’11. Since then, I have become more adept at standing on the kitchen table and managing to keep my feet out of the photographs.

I was wearing slippers and had to cut them out of the shot.
As the girls have grown up, I was cooking for two (I’m doing more of that these days).
Ingredients (Clockwise from 1:00)
- A tablespoon of cornflour (corn starch)
- 1.5 tablespoons of fermented black beans
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine
- 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons of peanut oil
- 2 onions
- .5 kilo of fine Irish sirloin steak
Throw the beef into the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients. Add water to the beans to soften the beans and to remove the salt.

Don’t hang around. Pour boiling water on the beans.
Slice the onions and the garlic.

Note my authentic Chinese chopper. I have owned it for over two decades. They are a great investment.
Take the steak out and slice it thinly. The time in the freezer will help with this. Discard the fat bits.

That is quality beef. Look at the lovely colours.
Add the cornflour and half the oil to the beef and stir to combine.

This helps get a nice soft beef with a bit of a crust when cooked.
Fry the onions in a wok until soft. Remove and reserve. Reheat the wok and add the beef in batches. We want to keep the wok very hot. When half the beef is cooked, add the garlic.

Delicious beef getting the garlic treatment.
Add the soy sauce and rice wine. Tip the wok to allow the alcohol burn off.

I love an action shot. This is an action shot!
Add the black beans and stir for a bit. Add back the onions and add a little water to get the sauce to the right consistency.

More than enough for two. This represents 20 minutes work.
Serve the beef over some Thai Fragrant rice.

This is one of the easiest, quickest and tastiest Oriental meals one can cook.
If you are like the Wife and I, the dish will be prepared, cooked and eaten inside half an hour. It took longer to take the photo of the ingredients while standing on the kitchen table. That’s progress, of sorts, I suppose.
katechiconi | 16th May 2017
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Great tip about putting the beef in the freezer to firm up before slicing. I must remember that for some of my more slippery customers. This looks extremely tasty, but Himself would be up in arms if I served it without chilli, so I’d be adding that. BTW, I used your delish lamb ribs marinade on pork ribs yesterday (with only one minor change), and it was awarded the accolade of “when can we have this again, it’s bloody brilliant?”. The change was to use Ras al Hanout instead of cumin. Mainly because I didn’t have any cumin left…
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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And that must qualify as a great call Kate. I must try some Ras al Hanout myself. Perhaps in the sous vide as Stefan suggests in the comments over on that post. Delighted you tried it and smiling at himself liking it. I often throw a couple of chilis into the black bean. They do no harm, for sure.
Man Fuel | 16th May 2017
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This recipe might be simple and quick, but it let me get a glimpse of your awesome kitchen setup that can take on big or small recipes! That wok is great hovering over that blue flame and that giant cleaver made me envious!
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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Thanks. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and it’s nice to have a bit of space. I spent a few hours experimenting with a mirror with a view to getting some overhead photos and video. It should work. I fI ever post a video here, you will know that it did.
chef mimi | 16th May 2017
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Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen black beans like that. I’ve only ever used a fermented black bean paste. Same thing I assume, just squished. A really lovely meal.
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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I imagine so Mimi. However, these have a lovely flavour and the soaking removes a lot of the saltiness that one gets in the paste. I love black beans!
chef mimi | 22nd May 2017
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Especially fermented ones! I’ll have to look more carefully when I’m in an Asian market.
anyone4curryandotherthings | 16th May 2017
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this is really somewhat spooky, Conor. I am not too keen on rice (the German in me will always prefer potatoes!) but last night I just felt a sort of craving for some nice Basmati Rice and since Jo shared some beef with me (his for a most delishes Curry) I quickly made your dish here MY WAY – always a very good nice quick quick meal – . Although it did not contain the black beans nor alcohol, I still enjoyed it and then to my surprise I see your posting just now – love the photographs (and the slipper story, pity they are edited out) 🙂 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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I couldn’t allow my 20 year old slippers make an appearance, even for you Carina. Amazingly, Linda Duffin was just about to post a black bean beef on her Mrs Portly’s Kitchen blog. She has abused me, elsewhere, about this!
anotherfoodieblogger | 16th May 2017
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I’ve got countless slipper and/or shoe shots edited out, lol. What a delicious quick meal for you and the wife. I am assuming my fine Oregon sirloin would be a suitable substitute. 😉
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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Absolutely on the Oregon sirloin. It’s not so much the editing out that is daft, it’s the fact that a man my age is standing on the kitchen table, in his slippers, taking photos of his dinner.
Eha | 17th May 2017
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Oh Lordie – I first read this as 5 Kg of meat and truly wondered where I was being totally stupid! This Cantonese recipe was probably the first I ate at a ‘Chinese’ restaurant so way back I don’t dare tell you and the first I prepped at home: may I say I recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with Chinese regional cuisine! So gentle and appetizing no tastebuds could possibly be offended 🙂 ! For those ‘new to the regime’ dry or even medium sherry will do fine! Conor: love the plate and love the plating!!
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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Thanks Eha, your background and experience with Oriental food puts you in a great position to give me good guidance on what I am at. I love getting your approval, even when you think I’m cooking five kilos of beef for the Wife and I.
Best,
C
StefanGourmet | 23rd May 2017
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Must say 5 is what I saw at first, too.
Claire | 17th May 2017
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That looks great – have you ever tried fermenting black beans – this might be easier for me than trogging all the way to a shop.
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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I haven’t. I’m sure they would be delicious. However, I only need a tablespoon or so for this dish so it might be a lot of trouble for a small production.
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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I must try a prosciutto. It would be good fun.
Linda Duffin | 17th May 2017
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Drat you, Bofin, I have to both take my hat off to you and scrap my nascent beef-with-black-beans post, as I don’t think I can top this. Looks lovely!
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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Don’t do that Linda. Your photography style is so completely different to mine that it will be great to see. I love how you use natural light and shadow. It’s very difficult to do right. As for there being a second (ha!) black bean recipe on the internet, I think it can handle the crowd.
Linda Duffin | 23rd May 2017
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That’s a very kind thing to say, particularly as my photographic lighting has more to do with luck (on a good day) that judgement. I shall re-cook my version one of these days, I expect. Meanwhile yours will remain the benchmark. Lxxx
ladyredspecs | 18th May 2017
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I’ve been cooking a version of this for years. Always delicious especially with a load of broccoli florets thrown in for good measure, oh yes and some red chilli too
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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Broccoli is delicious with it, for sure. Though I often would substitute the black beans and soy with oyster sauce when doing beef with broccoli. Both are delish!
Frank Fariello | 19th May 2017
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I love the taste of fermented black beans. It might be my favorite taste in the Chinese repertoire. And that looks like just the right burner for wok cookery. Lucky you!
Conor Bofin | Author | 22nd May 2017
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I have a half decent burner thanks be to goodness. However, it pales into insignificance next to the restaurant versions. I have been lucky enough to be let loose with them on a couple of occasions. The down side is coming home to the paltry flame at home and trying to recreate the restaurant experience.
StefanGourmet | 23rd May 2017
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I’ll make a version of this soon. It looks great!
I hadn’t realized until now that cornstarch is called cornflour outside of North America.
Love the fire shot, that is pretty hard to get right (and you don’t have a lot of retries before the beef overcooks).
Conor Bofin | Author | 24th May 2017
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It was dumb luck combined with a little bit of timing. It is a really tasty and easy to prepare dish.
Karen | 29th May 2017
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My timing must be perfect…I just bought a jar of the black beans and didn’t have the slightest idea what I would make with them as I’ve never tasted them. Thanks Conor. Oh, and your comment to Kathryn gave me a real laugh. 😀
Conor Bofin | Author | 29th May 2017
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I look forward to seeing your (far more elegant) version.
Karen | 29th May 2017
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I could never outshine you, Conor. 🙂
Kelly, RD | 10th January 2018
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Love reading your posts! You’re funny and I can always use a bit of laughter in my day! I’m dying to make this recipe! I love oriental food and recently saw a black bean steak dish featured on a cooking show. I bought a jar of black bean sauce. Do you think this will be an acceptable substitute?
Conor Bofin | Author | 10th January 2018
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Thanks for asking a great question. I am always inclined to be encouraging and to get people trying new flavours. On that basis, yes, do give it a go. However, a trip to the Oriental store will get you a jar of fermented black beans. Once tried, there will be no going back. So, in short, yes, but only as a stepping stone into a world of fantastic flavours.
Best,
Conor
Kelly, RD | 11th January 2018
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I guess it’s the fermenting that makes them so good? Maybe I’ll try both!