Beef and Broccoli

See also: Miscellaneous Notes

Mon 25 May 2020

Beef and broccoli is one of my favourite easy weeknight meals. It's savoury, it's satisfying, it's mercifully quick, and so, so delicious.

The recipe here is based on https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/broccoli_beef/(this one) but with a few simplifications and modifications. The ingredients are basically the same, but the technique is a little different. Oh, and I include some fermented black beans because they're yummy :3

Serves 3. Active time: 20-30m. Total time: 30m.

• ¾ lb steak, thinly sliced (leave it in the freezer for ~30m to make slicing easier)
• ¾ lb broccoli florets
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped (optional)

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• ½ teaspoon corn starch
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• ¼ cup chicken broth (I use Better than Bouillon)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon corn starch

• ¾ cup white medium-grain rice (I use calrose)
• 1¼ cup water
• large pinch of salt

• Begin by preparing the rice: combine rice, water, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it rest.
• Mix the marinade in a bowl large enough to hold the meat.
• Thinly slice the beef. Place slices in the marinade bowl and toss to evenly coat.
• Start heating a wok or similar pan on medium-high to high heat. This will ensure you get a good sear.
  Prep the garlic, black beans, and broccoli. If you use frozen broccoli, you can save some time here :)
• Combine the ingredients for the sauce and mix well to ensure the corn starch doesn't form any lumps.
• By this point the beef should have been marinating for about 10-15m. Add a tablespoon of neutral cooking oil (like canola or soy) to the meat, give it one more toss to ensure it's thoroughly coated, then add a layer of meat to the dry pan. You may need to sear in batches. On high heat, cooking will take 1-2 minutes per side, ensuring each is nicely browned. Once the strips are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
• While the beef is cooking, steam the broccoli until it's almost (but not quite) cooked through. I typically do this by putting it in a large bowl, adding 2 tbsp water, covering it and microwaving: 3 minutes on high if frozen, 1½ minutes on high if fresh, pausing halfway through to stir.
• Once all the beef is cooked and set aside, spray the pan or add oil to coat and add the garlic and black bean (if using). Stir and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
• When the garlic is ready, give the sauce a quick stir and add it to the pan, using it to deglaze. Once there are no more bits stuck to the bottom and the sauce is thick to your liking, add the broccoli and beef to the pan. Mix until thoroughly coated in sauce and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, soy, etc.) if necessary.
• Fluff the rice and serve. Enjoy!

Seitan can substitute for the beef relatively easily. Finding a substitute for oyster sauce is a little bit trickier, especially since it's the star ingredient. You can buy vegetarian or vegan oyster sauce (they're usually mushroom-based), but I have no idea how good they taste. You can also try making it at home! If you do, let me know how it turns out?

https://hashman.ca/beef-broccoli/