Okay, I am not under any illusions about this beef with bitter melon stir-fry. Bitter melon recipes aren’t for everyone, and the name alone is enough to have some people running in the opposite direction! But some people love it (I am one of those people), and for good reason. Let me see if I can convince you to give this delicious combo of bitter melon, beef, and salty black bean sauce a try.
About Bitter Melon
To some Chinese people, eating “bitter gourd,” (more commonly known as bitter melon) during the summertime is a must, because the Chinese believe that bitter melon is “cooling,” helping to cool your body in the midst of the summer heat. A lot of families eat bitter melon weekly for this reason.
While most people don’t like this dish solely because they’re afraid of the bitter flavor, I promise…if you follow my beef with bitter melon recipe and method of preparation, you can minimize the bitterness.
Plus, according to WebMD, its fruit and seeds are used to make medicine! I knew bitter melon was very good for you, but I didn’t know it also contains a chemical that helps reduce blood sugar levels. As far as we’re concerned, bitter melon is right up there with the acai berries and goji berries of the world. Try it!
Beef with Bitter Melon: Recipe Instructions
Start by mixing the sliced beef (read more on how to prepare beef for stir-fry) with the marinade ingredients (cornstarch, baking soda, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and water). Marinate for 20 minutes.
To prepare the bitter melon:
- Cut each bitter melon in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Scrape all the white parts clean, because the white parts cause the bitterness. Then slice the melon on a 45-degree angle into thin slices.
- Prepare an ice bath and set aside.
- Boil a pot of water, and stir in 1 tablespoon each of salt and baking soda. Blanch the bitter melon for 1 minute, and use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the bitter melon to the ice bath. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and sear the beef for about 45 seconds. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok over medium heat. Cook the garlic and black beans for a minute. Turn up the heat to high (this gives the dish that necessary wok-hay flavor), and add the bitter melon, stir frying quickly.
Now add the shaoxing wine, sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir and mix everything well.
Now add the beef and chicken stock (if you like more sauce), stir-frying and salting to taste.
At this point, I usually like to cover the wok and let the dish cook for one more minute. Cooking the bitter melon until it’s tender doesn’t make this the prettiest dish in your arsenal, but it definitely makes the dish tastier and the bitter melon less bitter. Serve your beef with bitter melon on top of steamed rice for a one plate meal on a weeknight!
For more beef stir-fry goodness, try our thai basil beef and our beef and pepper stir-fry!
Beef with Bitter Melon
Ingredients
You'll need:
- 1 pound beef (450g, sliced against the grain; flank steak works well)
- 2 medium bitter melons
- salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons water ( or chicken stock, optional)
To marinate the beef:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Start by mixing the sliced beef with the marinade ingredients (cornstarch, baking soda, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and water). Marinate the beef for 20 minutes.
- To prepare the bitter melon, cut each melon in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Scrape all the white parts clean, because the white parts cause the bitterness. Then slice the melon on a 45-degree angle into thin slices.
- Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Boil a pot of water, and stir in 1 tablespoon each of salt and baking soda. Blanch the bitter melon for 1 minute, and use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the bitter melon to the ice bath. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and sear the beef for about 45 seconds. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok over medium heat. Cook the garlic and black beans for a minute. Turn up the heat to high (this gives the dish that necessary wok-hay flavor), and add the bitter melon, stir frying quickly. Now add the shaoxing wine, sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir and mix everything well.
- Now add the beef and chicken stock (if you like more sauce), stir-frying and salting to taste. At this point, I usually like to cover the wok and let the dish cook for one more minute. Cooking the bitter melon until it’s tender doesn’t make this the prettiest dish in your arsenal, but it definitely makes the dish tastier and the bitter melon less bitter!
nutrition facts
bitter melon is fantastic so is bottled fermented tofu thank you
Absolutely delicious! We made it without the beef and it tasted great as a vegetarian dish too!
Thank you Mary!
Just like Mom! I substituted sliced dark or white meat chicken for the beef for a weeknight variation. The egg fried rice recipe is excellent- I also love folding in snow pea leaves, until wilted, for a subtle, sweet taste and some textural variation. You are my #1 go to website – a literal library of my favorite Cantonese dishes growing up in NYC. My Mom would have been proud had she been at our dinner table last night.!
I love bitter melon (fu gwa) with beef or even just by itself. Sometimes instead of black bean, I use home made fermented sweet rice. This is delicious too
Love the love, I will have to give it a try.
The five stars are from my husband who adores bitter melon, and who said this was one of the best things I’ve ever made. I wanted to make him a treat, and even with my low tolerance for bitter foods, this recipe kinda worked for me. The black bean and garlic balanced well with the melon, and the beef was perfect. For me, a little extra dash of soy at the end helped with the bitterness.
Love that this recipe has your husband’s approval, Kalia.
I made this recently! It was so delicious, thank you. I’ve been making lots of your recipes larely.
Sounds wonderful, Mary, this makes so happy :-)
Great recipe. I have made about five times. Once when bitter melon was expensive I added zucchini chopped in 1/4 cubes at very end. That was good too. So I also tried adding a small amount of snow peas tonight. Nice contrast. Bitter melon’s gotta be main though. Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome, Ed. I have never thought to add other vegetable to this dish. I will give it a try.