Chinese Beef and Broccoli

By á-167595

3-4 servings

Ingredients

• Sauce
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 1)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 1)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) or dry sherry
• 1/8 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 2)
• 1/8 tsp tsp black pepper
• Stir Fry
• 4 - 5 cups broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 heads of broccoli)
• 2 tbsp oil, separated
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 12 oz / 360g beef fillet, flank, rump or any other cut of beef suitable
• for pan frying

Preparation

Step 1

Place the water and cornstarch / cornflour into a jar. Shake to combine. Then add the remaining Sauce ingredients into the jar and shake.

Slice the beef into ¼" / 0.5cm thick slices. Place the beef and 2 tbsp of the Sauce into a bowl and set aside.

Steam or par boil the broccoli. (Note 3)

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok (or heavy based fry pan) over high heat until smoking.

Add the beef and sear quickly until browned. Then remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil into the wok, then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 20 to 30 seconds until the garlic and ginger is fragrant. Add the broccoli and stir quickly.

Shake the jar then pour it all into the wok. Stir fry for 30 seconds or so - the sauce should be bubbling away and beginning to thicken. Then toss the beef back in and stir fry for another 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the broccoli and beef.

Remove from heat and serve immediately with rice.




Notes

1. The two most common Chinese soy sauces are Dark Soy Sauce and Light Soy Sauce. Dark Soy Sauce is darker in colour, richer, thicker and sweeter. Light Soy Sauce is lighter in colour but it is saltier. In Australia, you can get both at the large supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths).

You can substitute the Light and Dark Soy Sauce with 2 tbsp of ordinary soy sauce + 1 tsp honey (or brown sugar). The colour of your sauce won't be quite as dark but the flavour will be quite similar.

You can also substitute the Dark Soy sauce with kecap manis (if you happen to have that on hand instead). If you do, do not add any sugar because kecap manis is sweet enough.

Chinese Five Spice Powder is a mix of five spices. It is available in the herb and spice section of supermarkets and it costs no more than other spices.

If par boiling, place the broccoli into a pot of boiling water, then when it comes back up to a boil, let it boil for 40 seconds (for just cooked) or 1 minute (for tender) then drain. The residual heat will cook the broccoli through while sitting in the colander.