One of the popular dishes at Chinese restaurants is “Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry.” To recreate the authentic taste,
the following steps are important.First, to tenderize the beef, thoroughly prepare it using water and baking soda. Then, marinate it with oyster sauce
and cornstarch to achieve a flavor close to that of a Chinese restaurant.Blanch the broccoli first, and then sear the beef well. Prepare a sauce using soy sauce (dark and light) and oyster
sauce, and finally stir-fry the beef and broccoli together.To finish the sauce, add a cornstarch slurry to achieve the perfect thickness. When served over rice, you can easily
enjoy the taste of a Chinese restaurant at home.It is important to master the tips for preparing and marinating the beef, the blanching of the broccoli, and the
making of the sauce to recreate the restaurant-quality taste. By following these steps, you can make authentic “Beef
and Broccoli Stir-Fry” at home.
Ingredients (For 4 servings)
Ingredients
Ingredients
Amount
Broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces, separating florets and stems)
In a bowl, combine the beef, baking soda, and water (omit the baking soda if you don’t want the beef to be too
tender). Massage the beef by hand until the moisture is absorbed. Mix in the remaining marinade ingredients:
cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Mix together the chicken broth, sugar, soy sauce, Chinese dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white
pepper to make the sauce.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the broccoli for 30-60 seconds (depending on whether you prefer
crunchy or slightly tender broccoli). Drain in a colander and set aside.
Heat a wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and sear the beef until browned on
both sides (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
Place the wok over medium heat, add another tablespoon of oil, and add the garlic and ginger. Stir for about 5
seconds, then pour the Shaoxing wine around the edges of the wok.
Next, add the sauce prepared in step 2. Stir the sauce from the sides of the wok to evaporate and bring to a
boil. Mix the cornstarch and water well, then add it in increments to thicken the sauce. Let it boil over high
heat for about 20 seconds to achieve the desired thickness.
Add the blanched broccoli from step 3 and the beef (along with any juices) from step 4. Stir over medium heat
until the beef and broccoli are well coated with the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, increase the heat to
reduce it further or add a bit more cornstarch slurry. If the sauce is too thick, adjust by adding more chicken
broth or water.
