A Peruvian chifa classic where tender beef meets the fermented depth of tausi in a dark, glossy sauce. Ginger, garlic, oyster sauce and crisp vegetables support the stir-fry without hiding the meat. Its savory wok-fired intensity makes it dangerously easy to keep stealing bites straight from the serving dish.
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Give the fermented black beans a quick rinse under running water, drain and roughly chop them; this keeps their fermented character while controlling excess salt. Mix them with the oyster sauce, most of the soy sauce, most of the Shaoxing wine, sugar, sesame oil and most of the water. Reserve the remaining water for the cornstarch slurry.
Slice the beef tenderloin against the grain into strips about 5 cm long. Toss it with the remaining soy sauce, remaining Shaoxing wine, white pepper and most of the cornstarch for 30 seconds, until every strip is lightly coated. Let it rest for 10 minutes while you cut the red bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, garlic, ginger and scallions.
Heat a wide skillet or wok over high heat until very hot. Add a little more than half of the vegetable oil and sear the beef in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes, working in two batches if necessary. Remove it as soon as it has well-browned edges while the inside remains juicy; crowding the pan here would steam the meat instead of searing it.
Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining vegetable oil. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic for 20 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the red bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute; add the snow peas and stir-fry for another 45 seconds. The vegetables should remain glossy, hot and crisp, not cooked into submission.
Stir the prepared tausi sauce and pour it into the pan. Let it boil vigorously for 30 to 45 seconds, return the beef with its juices and toss. Dissolve the remaining cornstarch in the reserved water, add it gradually and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds, only until the sauce is dark, glossy and thick enough to coat the beef without becoming gummy.
Turn off the heat, add the scallions and toss for only a few seconds with the residual heat. Serve immediately, before the sauce continues to thicken and the beef loses its juiciness. And that's it! If the tausi hits first, the wok follows and good beef still comes through at the end, you nailed it; this serving dish will not need much ceremony to end up empty.
