Marinate the Beef: In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef. Sprinkle over the 1 tbsp of cornflour, 1 tbsp of light soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to mix well, ensuring every piece of beef is coated. Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

Prepare the Sauce: In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the dark soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, beef stock, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Set this aside. In a small cup, mix the 1 tbsp of cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water to create your slurry for thickening later.

Sear the Beef: Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. You want the pan to be very hot. Working in two batches to avoid overcrowding, add half the beef in a single layer. Sear for 1-2 minutes per side, until you have a lovely brown crust. What works best for me is to leave it untouched for the first minute to develop that beautiful brown crust. Remove the seared beef from the pan and set it on a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding the second tbsp of oil if needed.

Create the Sauce: Lower the heat to medium. Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the same pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – this is where so much flavour is hiding!

Thicken the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a simmer. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. Give your cornflour slurry a quick stir, then slowly pour it into the pan while whisking continuously. The sauce will start to thicken and turn glossy almost immediately.

Combine and Serve: Return the seared beef and any juices from the plate back to the pan. Stir everything together to coat the beef in the glorious, thick sauce. Let it warm through for about a minute.

Garnish and Enjoy: Take the pan off the heat. Stir in most of the sliced spring onions. Serve the garlic beef immediately over steamed rice, garnished with the remaining spring onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.