This recipe was adapted from Chef Martin Yan’s "Chinatown Cooking" cookbook.
Growing up, a family treat was enjoying Chinese takeaway with my family. My little brother was a fan of Beef & Broccoli. As we learned from NYT Bestselling author Jennifer 8 Lee, Chinese American cuisine has little to do with authentic Chinese cooking. Therefore, I was elated when I found Chef Yan’s Broccoli Beef recipe with step-by-step instructions. I brought his cookbook into my local Asian market.
Broccoli Beef
- 1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp minced ginger*
- ¾ pound beef tips or flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
For the sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock or canned broth**
- 2 tablespoons oyster flavored sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 cups American broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces or ½ pound gai lan or Chinese broccoli***
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil****
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions
- Marinate the beef. Stir the rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, and ginger together in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir the beef gently in the marinade until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes
- Prepare the sauce: Stir the chicken stock, oyster flavored sauce, rice wine, and soy sauce together in a bowl.
- Cook the broccoli in a small pot until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.. Add the oil and swirl to coat the sides.
- Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the beef and stir fry until no longer pink on both sides, 1-2 minutes. Add the sauce and broccoli. Bring the sauce to a boil and stir until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Scoop contents of the wok onto a serving platter and serve immediately.
This was a wonderful, flavorful and bright dish! My entire family loved it. I served alongside some rice for a quick dinner. Here’s a little hint: Don’t over cook your broccoli! I steamed mine. Let it remain firm, as it will need to hold up against the heat in the beef sauce.
A couple of adaptations I made along the way:
*I didn’t have fresh ginger, but I always keep a jar of garlic/ginger paste in the back of my fridge. I use it whenever I make a miso soup or a Thai curry. I added a tsp of this in replace of the fresh ginger and it added a great bright, fresh flavor.
**I didn’t have broth on hand, so I used simply plain water. The dish was plenty flavorful and salty with just water for us. Nothing felt missing.
*** I have some sesame oil for stir frying at high heat, and so opted for that. Love the richer taste of sesame oil.
Many thanks to Chef Martin Yan for our new family weeknight favorite. I can’t wait to make it for my not-so-little brother.
