beef and broccoli

it’s as american as apple pie. this staple item is in every chinese restaurant in america, and possibly the rest of the western world. the overcooked broccoli, the tough beef, and the cornstarch thickened sauce is what comes to mind whenever one orders a combo #3. but we’re here to shed it’s bad reputation and make it palatable once again.

in hong kong, the beef is stir fried with gai lan (芥蘭), or chinese broccoli. it’s only when it was introduced in america that “western” broccoli was used.  so if you want to stick to the traditional sense, use gai lan instead.

broccoli 1 head

flank beef 3 oz
(marinated with…
soy sauce 1 tsp
water 1 tsp
oil 1 tsp
cornstarch 1 tsp
white pepper 1 pinch)

oyster sauce 1 tsbp
sugar 1 pinch
cornstarch 2 tsp
water 1 tbsp

• thinly slice and marinate the beef, this can be done in advance
• cut broccoli and quickly blanch it in salted boiling water, 1-2 min
• strain and run under cold water to cool the broccoli, set aside
• in a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water. mix evenly to create the sauce
• in a hot pan, add oil and toss in the beef, cook for a couple of minutes
• add the broccoli to the beef, stir-fry for another couple of minutes, until everything is cooked
• then finally add the slurry of sauce and toss to coat evenly

goes great with our sweet and sour pork!

commentaries

priscilla:

soy sauce instead of salt is used here because the liquid keeps the beef moist and tender when they are cooked.

jun:

i know what you’re thinking… where’s the beef?? this is the un-americanized version. in china, veggies are the star and meat is the “garnish”.

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