Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli

We hardly ever order take-out from Asian restaurants, though if the Husband had his way, that would  probably change.  However, when we do, I tend to stay very "safe" and order beef and broccoli or something similarly vanilla.

Hubby had suggested ordering take-out several times the past few weeks so I figured I could get out of this by doing an at home version of something we'd order if did get take-out. It didn't take very long to find this recipe from an October 1990 edition of Gourmet that came up in the search results on Epicurious.

This turned out great! It was very flavorful and more importantly it tasted very fresh, even somewhat healthy. I should also mention it was very easy to make - perfect for a weeknight meal. The Husband raved about this and said he'd definitely like to see this on our dinner table again in the near future.

I also got to use the red chilies that he has grown in our backyard "garden", which I think also got me a few points on this! :)


Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli

For the beef :
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound boneless sirloin, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon medium-dry Sherry or Scotch
1/4 cup chicken or beef broth or water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon minced garlic
a 4-inch fresh red chili, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves) or 1/2 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 pound broccoli, cut into florets and the stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick
cooked rice as an accompaniment

Prepare the beef:

In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, the sugar, and the salt, add the beef, and let it marinate for 20 minutes.

Make the sauce while the beef is marinating:

In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and stir in the Sherry, the broth, the sugar, and the sesame oil.

Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, and heat it until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry the beef in the oil in batches for 1 minute, or until it is no longer pink, and transfer it as it is cooked with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and in the oil stir-fry the ginger root, the garlic, and the chili for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fragrant. Add the broccoli and stir-fry the mixture for 1 minute.

Add 1/3 cup water and steam the broccoli, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until it is crisp-tender. Stir the sauce, add it to the wok with the beef and any juices that have accumulated on the plate, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the beef is heated through. Transfer the mixture to a heated platter and serve it with the rice.

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