I had a friend tell me how annoying it was when I post boastful pictures of Bryce willingly eating broccoli on social media. My son loves broccoli, and I can't figure out why. I started looking for recipes that incorporated these little green trees and came up with this Home Run Beef & Broccoli because I made it on a night when we were rushing to eat before baseball practice.
To keep the broccoli beautifully green and crisp-tender, I browned the beef for about 4 minutes, tossed in the sauce, topped the whole thing with broccoli florets, and covered the skillet to just steam them through. In only 10 minutes of cooking, we had a better version of the takeout classic.
Ingredients
1 cup rice, makes two cups
1 pound flank steak
1/4 cup oyster sauce (I used Hoisin sauce in a pinch, or you can substitute additional soy sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 scallions
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1/4 cup chick broth (I use water mixed with Better than Bouillon Chicken paste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
10 ounces broccoli florets (I buy the chopped florets that are washed and ready to eat to make dinner come together quicker)
Cook rice first
Cook rice according to package directions. Remove from heat when done and leave covered until dinner is ready.
Mise in place
Put the steak in the freezer while you prep the other ingredients. Just 10 minutes in the freezer will make slicing it later so much easier.
Set out a one-gallon zip-top bag, one small bowl, and a 2-cup measuring cup. We are going to do all the ingredient prep at one time so that dinner comes together quickly once you start cooking.
Bag #1: Marinade
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Bowl #2: Scallion mixture
3 scallions, whites thinly sliced (reserve green tops for garnish)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Measuring Cup #3: Broth mixture
1/4 cup chicken broth (I like to use Better than Bouillon chicken paste mixed with water)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Prep beef
Flank steak has a distinct grain. Pull the beef out of the freezer and cut the steak into three long strips following that grain, and then slice each strip thin against the grain. I usually cut down long strips into bite-size pieces since my kids eat this and I don't want to have to recut the beef after it's been cooked.
Add beef strips to the gallon zip-top bag and let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes to marinade.
Sear beef
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the entire contents of the zip-top bag to the skillet and use tongs to spread them out in a single-layer best you can. Cook, without stirring, until beef is browned on the first side, about 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until beef is spotty brown and no longer pink, about 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
Add mucho flavor
Now it is time to add the bowl of scallions, garlic, and oil that we pre-measured. Pour it over and stir everything around for a quick minute. Turn down the heat to medium.
Re-whisk the broth mixture in the measuring cup to recombine. Add the broth mixture and broccoli to the skillet, cover, and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, shaking skillet occasionally to redistribute contents.
Plate and serve
Spoon rice onto plates, top with beef and broccoli, then sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds if you want to be fancy.
You may also find this Orange Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry recipe interesting if you are into these types of flavors. Enjoy!