Ingredients

• 1 (1¼-pound), boneless strip steak, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon, water
• ¼ teaspoon, baking soda
• 4 teaspoons, cornstarch, divided
• 1 tablespoon, dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon, pepper, divided
• ½ teaspoon, table salt
• 2 cups, beef broth
• 2 tablespoons, Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons, oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon, packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon, garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon, onion powder
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons, dark rum or brandy
• ½ , large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
• ½ , large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
• ½ , large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
• 3 , scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 5 , garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 teaspoon, whole allspice berries, coarsely ground
• ½ teaspoon, grated fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon, minced fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon minced, Scotch bonnet chile

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables and aromatics while the beef rests. Dark soy sauce is thicker and a bit sweeter than the all-purpose kind; shop for it online or at an Asian market. You can substitute a habanero chile for the Scotch bonnet. We prefer coarsely ground allspice berries (use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle), but ½ teaspoon ground allspice can be used. Serve over rice or rice and peas. If you prefer, you can use a carbon-steel skillet instead of a nonstick skillet. Slice beef crosswise ¼ inch thick. Cut slices into ¼-inch-thick strips. Combine water and baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon pepper, and salt to beef and toss until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours. Whisk beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer. Cook without stirring for 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown on both sides, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Remove now-empty skillet from heat. Add rum and, using spatula, scrape any browned bits from skillet. Transfer any remaining liquid and browned bits to bowl with beef. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons oil, and heat until just smoking. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are spotty brown but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer peppers to bowl with beef. Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and heat until just smoking. Add scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic, allspice, ginger, thyme, and Scotch bonnet. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer scallion mixture to bowl with beef and peppers. Whisk beef broth mixture to recombine. Add mixture to skillet; reduce heat to medium; and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened (spatula will start to leave trail that quickly fills in), 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in beef and vegetables and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
2. SCOTCH BONNET CHILE Fiery and fruitySquat and bulbous like the tam-o-shanter hat that its named for this ubiquitous Caribbean crop lashes with capsaicin the main compound that makes chiles hot and leaves a lingering hint of fruitiness. BLACK PEPPERCORNS Stinging Pungent BurnPiperine the chief compound in these wrinkly dried berries burns with a gentle tingle. BELL PEPPER Mild and CrispAll bell peppers are mellow and crunchy but using a mix of colors delivers a range of sweet red yellow and sharp grassy green flavors. JAMAICA PEPPER Warm woodsy sharpPepper is a misnomer here Jamaica pepper which Columbus dubbed pimenta but which is commonly called allspice in English is the dried berry of an evergreen tree in the myrtle family that grows abundantly in the Caribbean and Central America. Its warm not spicy and adds roundness to this and other Jamaican classics.