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Kit Mercer

Pepper with Benefits — Black-pepper chili-crisp beef bowls

Savory ground beef with chili crisp, black pepper and soy over cold romaine and cucumber. Rice and charred corn are optional.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound lean ground beef, preferably 93/7
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili crisp, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, optional for a tighter glaze
  • 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced or diced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced with whites and greens separated
  • 1 cup frozen corn, optional
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, optional

Method
 

  1. Combine the soy sauce, chili crisp, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, black pepper, water, and optional cornstarch. Stir until smooth and keep it beside the stove.
  2. Arrange the romaine, cucumber, and scallion greens in three bowls. Add up to 1/2 cup cooked rice per bowl only when wanted; the lettuce-heavy version is the default.
  3. If using corn, char it in a dry large skillet over medium-high until browned in spots. Season it with a small spoonful of chili crisp, then divide it among the bowls.
  4. Return the skillet to medium-high. Add the beef without oil and press it into a broad layer. Leave it undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes so the underside browns, then turn it in sections and break it into substantial crumbles. Drain only if a real pool of fat develops.
  5. Add the scallion whites and cook for 30 seconds. Stir the sauce again, pour it over the beef, and scrape up the browned fond. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the glaze clings and no watery liquid remains.
  6. Taste and correct with additional black pepper, soy sauce, or chili crisp. Spoon the hot beef over the cold bowls and finish with additional chili crisp if wanted.

Notes

Press the beef into a broad layer and let the underside brown before breaking it up. Substantial crumbles hold onto the glaze better than a pan of tiny, constantly stirred pieces. Scallion whites go into the pan; greens stay with the cold vegetables. The corn gets its own dry-pan charring step before the beef. If adding rice, the source allows up to half a cup cooked rice per bowl. Neither addition needs to displace the romaine and cucumber. If the finished beef tastes flat, try more black pepper or chili crisp before pouring in extra soy sauce. The optional cornstarch tightens the glaze; leave it out if the sauce already clings after its brief simmer. Displayed preparation and cooking times, where supplied, are source estimates rather than measured kitchen-test results.