Beef and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli is one of my favorite Chinese dishes, but I don't typically order it when we go out.  I like the homemade version so much better.  The sauce isn't gelatinous and I can add as much broccoli as I want.  I like to keep my broccoli pretty crisp, so the cooking time in this recipe is dead on.  If you like your broccoli softer, just saute a little longer or add a bit of water to the pan and steam it for a couple of minutes.  The original recipe called for flank steak, which I couldn't find, so I replaced with sirloin.  I think that as long as you slice the meat against the grain, you could use a number of different cuts of beef.  The only other changes I made were to substitute apple juice for the sherry (I didn't have sherry) and to replace one of the tablespoons of vegetable oil with sesame oil.  I love the flavor a little bit of sesame oil gives a Chinese dish. 

I prepped everything a couple of hours before dinner so that once it was time to cook, it only took about 15 minutes.  This would be a great meal for a busy week night!

Beef with Broccoli
Adapted from Rainy Day Gal Blog

First, marinate the meat:

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb sirloin, sliced thinly

1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.

• 1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp sherry (I substituted apple juice)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used 2 tbsp vegetable oil + 1 tbsp sesame oil)
• 2 heads broccoli, crowns only

1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and juice until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
3. Carefully add the tablespoon of sesame oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve over rice.