In article >, Steve Wertz
> wrote:

> Is the Chinese dish "Pepper Beef" (or chicken) originally meant to
> be pepper as in black pepper, or pepper as in bell (or hot)
> peppers?
>
> Is it an 'official' Chinese dish, or something those stupid
> Americans concocted and called Chinese food?
>
> From my experience it either has one or both of those ingredients,
> but no single preparation prevails.
>
> FWIW, I think it should be black pepper only, but a lot of
> restaurants use tons of green pepper and no black pepper (or
> spice) at all.
>
> I'vee checked all my authentic and non-authentic cookbooks and
> don't see any mention of the dish or it's origins.
>
Just my half a nickel-I've mostly seen PB that was either a icky sticky
sweet&sour red sauce or a bland brown starch/hoisin sauce with bell
peppers-waaay too many bell peppers.
The times there was black pep involved without lotsa bell pepper
slivers it was called salt&pepper beef instead.
Seldom if ever was the dish worth a repeat order. My vote would be for
'largely an "American Concoction"'.

monroe(how do ya do it right)