Beef and Broccoli

• portions: 4

Ingrédients

1 lb beef flank/sirloin, cut into thin ⅛” strips (or any cheaper cuts of work as well)

12 oz broccoli / broccolini, cut into small chunks

¼ white onion, sliced thinly

3-5 cloves garlic, grated

1½ tbsp ginger, grated

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp shao-hsing wine (or sherry / white wine)

¾ tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp sesame oil

½ tbsp baking soda

½ tbsp sugar

Cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2-3 tbsp water

High smoke-point oil

2½ tbsp sugar

2½ tbsp oyster sauce

1¾ tbsp soy sauce

1¾ tbsp shao-hsing cooking wine (or sherry / white wine)

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the beef, 1½ tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp shao-hsing wine, 2 tsp sesame oil, ½ tbsp sugar, ½ tbsp baking soda, and ¾ tbsp cornstarch. Mix everything well so that the beef is coated in the marinade. For cheaper cuts of beef, set this mixture aside for 15 minutes to tenderize the meat. Prior to stir frying, ensure you have everything in the right place, as the process will be fairly quick and unforgiving.

While the beef is marinating, we can make the stir fry sauce by combining 2½ tbsp sugar, 2½ tbsp oyster sauce, 1¾ tbsp soy sauce, and 1¾ tbsp shao-hsing wine. Stir to combine and dissolve as much sugar as possible, then set aside until the end.

Heat a large pan / wok with high sides over high heat until it’s very hot. Add in a squeeze of high heat oil, then add in half of the marinated beef so as not to overcrowd the pan. Stir frequently, coating the beef in the oil. Cook for 60-90 seconds, or until browned on the outside and cooked most of the way through. Remove the cooked beef and set aside, doing the same with the second half of the marinated beef. Add more oil if needed.

With the beef set aside, add in a splash of water to the pan and wipe off any stuck on beef residue so it doesn’t burn. Allow the pan to heat up against and add in another squeeze of oil, followed by half of the broccoli and sliced onion. Cook, stirring frequently for 60-90 seconds, or until the veggies are charred around the edges but not cooked all the way through. We want them to still be snappy for textural contrast. Set aside the cooked veggies and do the same with the remaining other half.

Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, stirring constantly for about 10 seconds, then add all of the broccoli, onions, and beef to the pan. Toss everything to combine for about 20 seconds. Add the stir fry sauce mixture made earlier along with 2-3 spoonfuls of your cornstarch mixture. Keep tossing everything together over high heat until the starch in the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and evaluate the texture, returning the pan to the heat with additional cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin.

Serve hot over rice or starch of choice!

Notes

A classic Chinese-American takeout dish that you can find at almost every Chinese restaurant in the US. This dish does a great job of being simple, having US supermarket-accessible ingredients, and showcasing a few Chinese cooking techniques like marinating tougher cuts of meat with baking soda and using cornstarch to thicken a sauce. This pairs nicely with rice or any other starch you prefer.