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This classic Chinese beef and broccoli recipe is quick and easy to make homemade, and tastes even better thanthe restaurant version!
There’s so much broccoli in my life lately!
First off, my fridge has been overflowing with multiple kinds of broccoli from my CSA, grown by my lovely Burmese friend Si Si who works with this cool organization. I must say, her organic broccoli is some of tastiest I’ve ever tried, and I’ve been choppin’,sautein’, roastin’, and slawin’ it like crazy lately. So good.
But then, I’ve also got to tell you the cutest thing. When Si Sifirst heard that I was dating Barclay last summer, she wassooooexcited about it and couldn’t wait to meet him. But English is her second language, and his name(pronouncedbar-klee) was a tricky one to remember. So I told her to just think ofbroccoli, and I still remember howher eyes lit up and she broke into the biggest smile. “I love broccoli!!” she exclaimed.
And the nickname was born. :)
Now, whenever I go to see her or we chat on the phone, she always makes sure to tell me again and again to be sure to “say hi to Broccoli”for her. Or she’ll invite me and Broccoli over for some Burmese noodles. Or — one of my favorite little moments — when Barclay came to visit the CSA-kickoff party a few weeks ago at her garden, she got a big kick out of him purchasing some of her broccoli to take home. Some broccoli for Broccoli. Made me so happy.
Anyway, all that said, this week I randomly was craving some retro beef and broccoli. I used to always love ordering this stuff at Chinese restaurants back in the day, and love how easy it is to make at home. So I whipped up a quick batch and snapped some photos justin case you might ever have a nostalgic craving for this stuff too.
Here’s a cute pic I snapped of Barclay out in Si Si’s garden before we made our wayto her actual broccoli. These two.♥
Alright, back to this recipe. I’ve gotta say — I’ve had some good beef and broccoli in my day, but probably morenot-so-good beef and broccoli in my day.
Oof. Has anyone else had the same experience?? I feel like this dishstarts withso much potential, based around two of my favorite ingredients. (Here’s lookin’ at you fresh broccoli, and — my forever guilty pleasure — tender steak.) But after that, it seems like so many restaurants just phone in the sauce, making what could be anawesome dish instead totally bland and soggy and “meh”.
Not acceptable.
My homemade version, on the other hand, is everything I alwayshope that broccoli and beef will be when I see if on a menu. It’s made with tender-crisp broccoli (and lots of it), marinated and perfectly-cooked flank steak, andlotsof sauce that’s actually bursting with savory flavors. So good!
And even better? It can be on the table easily in 30 minutes. (Or if you’re a super-efficient multi-tasker, closer to 20!)
So who’s ready for some beef and broccoli?
I thought so. :)
Enjoy!
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Beef and Broccoli
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 19 reviews
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Yield:4 -6 servings 1x
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Description
This classic Chinese beef and broccoli recipe is quick and easy to make homemade, and tastes even better than the restaurant version!
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Broccoli Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak, cut into 1/4-inch-thick bite-sized pieces
optional garnishes:toasted sesame seeds and/or thinly-sliced green onions
Sauce Ingredients:
3/4cup water
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
optional:1-3 teaspoons sriracha, to taste
Instructions
To Make The Beef and Broccoli:
Add the steak to a large bowl, along with the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Stir to combine, then let the steak marinate for at least 10 minutes (or up to 1 hour).
Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot halfway full of water, and bring it to a boil. Stir the broccoli florets into the water, and cook for 30-45 seconds. Drain (or transfer the broccoli to a strainer), and set aside.
Prepare the sauce (see instructions below).
Once the steak hasfinished marinating, add the peanut oil to a large saute pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the steak and garlic, and saute — stirring occasionally — until the steak is cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add the sauce and broccoli, and toss to combine. Continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes, or until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.
Remove from heat and serve immediately, topped with optional garnishes if desired.
Sauces and oils: This beef and broccoli recipe calls for oyster sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Sherry: Cooking sherry adds a sweet, nutty flavor to the beef and broccoli. Sugar: White sugar lends a hint of sweetness. Cornstarch: A teaspoon of cornstarch thickens the sauce.
Broccoli can be eaten raw, but blanching it quickly in boiling water helps give it a more crisp-tender texture and bring out its flavor. Broccoli can also be steamed, sautéed, and roasted. You could even throw long spears on the grill!
The cornstarch in the Beef and Broccoli Sauce will thicken as it simmers with the broccoli. If you still would like a thicker sauce, then just keep simmering until it reaches desired consistency. Your sauce will become thicker the longer it is simmers.
Don't worry, the ingredients for this dish are pretty basic, which make this the perfect easy weeknight meal! Flank steak– Flank Steak is perfect for beef and broccoli because it is lean and tender. Use a sharp knife to cut the steak into thin strips going agains the grain.
Oyster sauce is commonly used in Chinese food and adds a savory, salty, umami flavor. Both can be found in most grocery stores. If you like, you can add grated or minced ginger or garlic. Serve your homemade brown sauce with a beef, chicken, or pork stir-fry or chow mein dish.
Sriracha – Or Sambal Oelek which is just a chili garlic sauce that is a must in my opinion! Beef broth (low sodium) – Chicken or veggie stock will work in place of beef broth if that's what you have handy. The flavor, though, will be a lot deeper and more authentic with beef broth.
The corn starch helps keep the beef moist and tender while cooking. It's very noticeable when cooking meat tossed with vs. without corn starch — the meat without corn starch will exude liquid as it cooks, whereas meat coated with corn starch will retain its liquid content, making it more tender.
Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.
When passed through the oil, cornstarch helps to seal in the juices of the protein and make it crispier. Towards the end of the cooking process, a cornstarch slurry is added to thicken the juices that will have gathered at the base of the wok.
While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.
In short, yes!A little baking soda can be used to tenderize meat. Note that the best use for this is on thinner steaks and ground beef burgers that will have a wide surface area when cooked. It won't be effective with tough cuts of meat like stew meat, which are best made tender with a low and slow braise.
In a deep 12-inch skillet (you can also use a saucepan or pot), whisk together the broth, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 3-4 minutes.
Espagnole (pronounced like the word for Spanish: español) is a basic brown sauce that is one of the five mother sauces of classical cuisine. It's also the starting point for a rich and deeply flavorful sauce called demi-glace, which is traditionally served with red meats.
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Introduction: My name is Madonna Wisozk, I am a attractive, healthy, thoughtful, faithful, open, vivacious, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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