Peppery Beef and Shishito Stir-Fry
Updated April 24, 2025
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup plus 4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pound sirloin or other steak, sliced into 1-inch-wide strips
2 tablespoons vegetable or other neutral oil, plus more as needed
12 to 14 shishito peppers (about 4 ounces), stems removed
1 tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1 tablespoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for serving if desired
Salt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
White rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
28 grams carbs; 88 milligrams cholesterol; 469 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 825 milligrams sodium; 27 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 4 teaspoons of the soy sauce and all the sesame oil until smooth. Add the steak strips and mix until thoroughly coated.
- Step 2
In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, stir the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch into ⅓ cup cool water; set aside.
- Step 3
In a 10-inch wok or wide pot, heat the vegetable oil on high until hot, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the shishito peppers and cook, stirring, until they start to blister. Transfer peppers to a plate and set aside.
- Step 4
Working in batches and adding more oil if necessary between batches, add the steak strips to the wok in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until the strips start to develop a char, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to the plate with the peppers.
- Step 5
Add the garlic and ginger to the wok and adjust heat to medium. Cook for 30 seconds, until the smell of raw garlic and ginger dissipates. Add the black pepper and season with about ½ teaspoon salt. Return the steak and peppers to the wok.
- Step 6
Stir in the vinegar and remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, then the cornstarch mixture, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce looks shiny and sticks to the back of a spoon. Taste the dish and season with more salt and pepper, if you like. Serve with rice.
Private Notes
Comments
I didn’t use the quarter cup of soy sauce - I used about half of that - and the dish was way too salty.
@Alex Shishito and Padron peppers are Russian Roulette. You can go through a few dozen mild shishitos and suddenly hit one unexpectedly that will make your head explode.
Reduced sesame by half and made up liquid with water for steak slurry. Reduced vinegar by half and would in future add heat in way of habenero as shishitos didn’t add heat we craved. Tasty, rich, good with the rice or steamed book Choy.
Easy breezy. I wish it had made just a touch more sauce.
Would recommend adding more heat, if that's what you're into. The shishito peppers and balck pepper don't provide very much.
So boring how is it five stars. I followed the recipe fully resulting in copious amounts of overly think grey brown gravy bc of the mountain of cornstarch. Super salty even with low sodium soy sauce. And no flavor or texture variety. I would not recommend this recipe. A rare fail for NYT Cooking.