Boy do I miss restaurants. Sincerely I do. Like, the real, visceral way you miss someone special to you and your heart just aches. Restaurants are a big part of the O'Malley family world. Sean has done a show about them for the past decade and has visited hundreds of the best around the country. We love to try new restaurants and help him research. Before the world shut down and I found myself cooking EVERY meal my family has eaten in the past month, I usually did cook dinner at home most nights. BUT, I LOVED the sweet relief letting someone else handle it now and then. And it isn't just the act of sitting in a lovely restaurant letting someone else do the cooking and the dishes while I enjoy something scrumptious with a glass of wine that I miss. On busy weeknights when we were all pulled in different directions because of work, dance, sports and everything else, we'd get takeout from a few local places and enjoy it at home. I know we technically could do that now, but we've felt more comfortable prepping our own food. As lovers of world cuisine, we especially miss the flavors of Asian food. Spicy, sweet, salty and just plain delicious, we were all craving spicy tuna rolls or Pad Thai or dumplings. Alas, my pantry ingredients did not hold the keys to those delicacies. What I did have, however, were the building blocks for a decent stir fry. So we gave this beef and broccoli a whirl.
Beef and broccoli always tastes better when eaten with chopsticks
Beef and broccoli is one of those reliable Chinese-American restaurant staples that most omnivores like. The key to making a good one at home is using the right cut of beef, slicing it paper thin, making a great marinade and sauce, and keeping the broccoli tender-crisp. Served over steamed sticky rice or lo mein noodles, it's a complete meal in a bowl.
Get in my belly
The best way to ensure your beef is sliced thinly enough is to slice it while partly frozen. You can almost shave the meat this way if you have a sharp knife. Then it defrosts almost instantly. You must also make sure to cut it against the grain, otherwise it can be really tough and chewy. I used eye of round steaks for this recipe, but you could easily substitute sirloin or flank steak.
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 lb beef steak, partly frozen (put in the freezer for 1 hour before you need it), sliced paper thin (eye of round, sirloin or flank steak)
2 bunches broccoli, cut into florets (or a large bag of frozen broccoli florets if that's all you have) and steamed for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp fortified wine (sherry, Marsala, Madeira)
1 tsp chili garlic paste (or sub Sriracha or other hot sauce - add more if you like spice)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh grated)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup beef broth (I used better than bullion dissolved in water)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
canola or vegetable oil for sautéing
Method:
In a large measuring cup, mix soy sauce, cornstarch, wine, chili paste, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and sesame oil until combined. Pour half over the beef and let marinate on the counter for a few minutes. Combine oyster sauce and beef broth in another measuring cup or bowl and set aside. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with canola oil and heat over high heat. Sauteé the broccoli quickly until it just starts to brown and remove from pan. Add in a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat until very hot. Add the meat to the pan in batches. You don't want to overcrowd the pan or the meat with steam instead of brown. Brown quickly on both sides then remove to a plate, then add the rest of the meat into the pan. Repeat until all the meat is browned. When all the meat is cooked, add it all back to the pan with reserved marinade, beef broth and oyster sauce. Cook until sauce is thickened and glossy, just a minute or two. Add back in the broccoli. Stir to coat everything in sauce and remove from heat. Serve over steamed rice or noodles.
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