Sangie, black bean sauce....

v1. Simple Black Bean Sauce

3-4 tablespoons steamed black soya beans, mixed to paste
2 tblsp oil
2 tblsp sugar

Combine altogether.

v2. Beef with Tomato and Pepper in Black Bean Sauce serves 6

2 large tomatoes
2 tblsp salted black beans
2 tblsp water
4 tblsp dark soy sauce
1 tblsp cornstarch
1 tblsp dry sherry
1 tsp sugar
500gm rump steak, cut into thin strips
1 small green pepper, seeded and cored
4 tblsp oil
3/4 cup beef stock
pinch pepper

1. Core the tomatoes and cut them into 16 wedges. Crush the black beans, add the water and set aside.
2. Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sherry, sugar, and meat in a bowl and set aside.
3. Cut pepper into 1/2 inch diagonal pieces. Heat the wok and add the oil. When hot, stir fry the green pepper pieces for about 1 minute and remove.
4. Add the meat and the soy sauce mixture to the wok and stir fry about 2 minutes. Add the soaked beans and the stock.. Bring to the boil and allow to thicken slightly. Return the peppers to the wok and add the tomatoes and pepper. Heat through for about 1 minute and serve immediately.

Serve with plain steamed rice. Do not add the tomatoes too early or stir in the mixture too vigorously once they are added or they will fall apart. Substitute snow peas for the peppers in desired. Mushrooms may also be added and cooked with the pepper or snow peas.

v3. Pork with Black Bean Sauce Serves 2-3

8oz lean pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tblsp oil
1 red pepper, cored, seeds removed, and sliced

Sauce
3 tblsp black soya beans, rinsed in cold water and crushed with the back of a spoon
2 tblsp Chinese wine, or dry sherry
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tblsp light soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tblsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water

1. Mix together black beans, wine, ginger, soy sauce and garlic.
2. Blend cornstarch with 2 tblsp of water and add to mixture.
3. Place pork in a bowl and pour over sauce. Toss together. Leave for at least 30 minutes.
4. Heat wok, add oil and stir fry red pepper for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
5. Add pork, reserving marinade sauce. Stir fry pork until browned well all over.
6. Add marinade sauce and remaining water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until pork is tender, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary.
7. Just before serving, add red pepper and heat through. Serve with plain rice.

Black soya beans are available from health food stores.


This is all from the book The Complete Chinese Cookbook, Jillian Stewart.

Hoobley, if you think of a recipe you might like, ask and I'll see if its in the book. If you weren't in the uk, I would post you the book and you could copy what you wanted, and return it when you are done.