Cantonese black pepper beef on a hot plate

Mix the black pepper sauce with three tablespoons of water and set aside.

Prepare the aromatics: crushed garlic, sliced ginger, scallion whites in two inch sections, onion in one inch chunks, and the green and red mild chilies cut into diamonds.

Mix the papain with two tablespoons of water into the sliced beef until the water is absorbed.

Add the salt, sugar, and the cornstarch pre-mixed into the Shaoxing wine, then the dark soy sauce, mix well, and finish with a teaspoon of oil.

To pass the beef through oil, fill a wok with a couple of cups of oil at about 150 centigrade, add the beef, jiggle it, cook about 20 seconds over max flame, then lift out and drain.

Alternatively, long yao the wok: get it piping hot, kill the heat, add about four tablespoons of oil and swirl for a non-stick surface, turn the flame to high, heat until the oil bubbles rapidly around a pair of chopsticks, add the beef, stir fry about 30 seconds until it changes colour, and drain.

Set the hot plate or cast iron skillet over a high flame to heat through while you stir fry.

Long yao the wok again, heat off, add a tablespoon and a half of peanut oil, swirl, then add the beef and aromatics.

Flame back to high, mix briefly, then pour the Cantonese rice wine over the spatula and around the sides of the wok.

Add the sauce and water mixture and fry together about fifteen seconds, then the dark soy sauce and the cornstarch slurry.

Mix, finish with another tablespoon and a half of peanut oil, heat off, mix briefly again.

Turn out onto aluminum foil, wrap it, and tip it onto the very hot cast iron hot plate to serve sizzling.