BEEF WITH BROCCOLI

prep time:: 20 min
total time:: 1 hr

Feeds 3 or 4

ZEPHYRA

The best homemade: it beats any takeout. Everybody has loved this for years.

ingredients

2/3 Pound flank or skirt steak
1/2 Pound broccoli crowns
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 Cup water
7 Tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 Tablespoons chicken broth or stock
1 Cup uncooked rice
MARINADE:
1 teaspoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar

directions

1
Mix marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
2
Slice beef across the grain with a cleaver into thin strips. Add to marinade and mix well. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3
Start rice cooking; 2/1 portion of water. (You can use less than 1 cup rice if you don’t want to stretch the dish.) For 1 cup of rice use 2 cups of water. Cover and bring to boil. Immediately lower temperature and cook on very low heat: don’t uncover until done. 20 minutes.
4
Cut the broccoli up into bite sized pieces to your liking.
5
Dissolve cornstarch in water to make a paste and set aside. (If cornstarch ’settles’ you’ll have to restir before using.)
6
Heat 6 Tablespoons of the oil in a wok over high heat for 1 minute. Stir-fry beef until lightly browned. Remove beef with slotted spoon into bowl and set aside.
7
Add the last Tablespoon of oil to the oil in wok and heat for 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Push to the side of the wok.
8
Add the broccoli and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
9
Pour in cornstarch paste, salt, soy sauce, chicken broth and pepper. (I actually like to mix these things together in a bowl and then pour them in at once.) Stir-fry until the sauce thickens.
10
Add cooked beef back in and mix well.
11
Serve cooked rice and stir-fry separately in covered dishes.

notes

I've taken a few tiny liberties with this authentic Chinese dish. I usually make a huge batch for leftovers (although broccoli tends to become very soft on reheating). I like to double up on the sauce so that the stir-fry is never dry over the rice.

Source: ROSE CHENG