Chinese beef and broccoli

This post may contain affiliate links. Tender strips of steak with chinese beef and broccoli broccoli in a rich brown sauce, beef with broccoli is a weeknight favorite.

Beef and broccoli, or tender strips of steak and crisp broccoli florets in a rich brown sauce, is a popular Chinese restaurant dish, but it’s easy to make at home too. At most American Chinese restaurants, the dish is made with flank steak that has been tenderized with a baking soda solution and marinated, but when I make beef and broccoli at home, I prefer to use flat iron steak. While the beef marinates, chop the scallions, garlic, and ginger. It’s important to do this before you start cooking because the dish cooks very quickly. Next, prepare the sauce by combining the the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce with the cornstarch, and stir with a fork until the cornstarch is dissolved. When you’re ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat until smoking. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the water.

2 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe any excess water out of the pan. Increase the heat to high and heat another tablespoon of oil in the pan until smoking. Add half of the beef, so that it is in a single layer.

Continue cooking while stirring until the beef is lightly cooked but still pink in spots, about 30 seconds. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat until smoking. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly with the beef, for about 30 seconds. Return the reserved beef and broccoli to the pan, along with the reserved sauce and scallion greens. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 seconds.