Beef and Broccoli

Name: Beef and Broccoli
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: american, chinese
Ingredients: 1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry or sake; 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 pound beef — chuck or rib steak — sliced thin against the grain; 1/4 cup oyster sauce; 1/2 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, or to taste; 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola, grapeseed or peanut; 1 pound broccoli, the head cut into florets and the stems peeled and cut into planks; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

By Sam Sifton

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(3,600)
Comments: Read comments

Here is a streamlined, powerfully flavorful recipe for a delivery-food standby: velvety wok-fried beef in a oyster-soy sauce, served in a forest of green. ‘‘It’s diaspora food,’’ the chef Jonathan Wu told me, describing the cooking of Chinese immigrants to the United States and a dish that is almost unknown in China but beloved in America. The recipe is a version of the one Wu’s mother made for dinner when he was growing up outside Hartford, Conn., with a little chile-garlic paste added for zip and, thanks to the Brooklyn chef Dale Talde, a pat of butter swirled into the sauce at the end. This provides a plush gloss that is far better than the traditional cornstarch slurry. It is midweek family cooking at its best.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

⅓cup Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry or sake
3tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1tablespoon cornstarch
1pound beef — chuck or rib steak — sliced thin against the grain
¼cup oyster sauce
½tablespoon chile-garlic sauce, or to taste
½cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola, grapeseed or peanut
1pound broccoli, the head cut into florets and the stems peeled and cut into planks
2tablespoons unsalted butter

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the wine, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the cornstarch. Add the beef to the bowl, and toss to combine, then cover the bowl, and set aside for 20 minutes or so.
Step 2
To make the sauce, combine in a small bowl the remaining soy sauce, the oyster sauce and the chile-garlic sauce, and mix to combine, then add a tablespoon of water and mix again. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat the ½ cup of oil in a wok set over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add about half the beef to the wok, and stir-fry until it is browned and crisp and barely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate, and set aside. Then repeat with remaining beef.
Step 4
Pour off the oil in the wok, wipe it out with a towel and return it to the stove over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl it around and heat it until it is smoking. Add the broccoli and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until lightly charred in spots, about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Add 2 tablespoons water to the wok, and toss and stir the broccoli in the steam for an additional 2 minutes, then return beef to the wok, followed by the sauce. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, for 30 seconds or so, then add the butter, and stir and toss again for 30 seconds more. Serve immediately, with rice.

Ratings

4 out of 5

3,600 user ratings

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Comments

gee ray7 years ago

"When the oil is hot and shimmering,"... add a slab of ginger and a smashed garlic clove.

Christine7 years ago

Anna Kao, a locally famous chef and restaurateur in Pittsburgh taught me that freezing the beef for half an hour makes it much easier to slice thinly.

Alberto7 years ago

Ah yes, the Chinese diaspora produced some interesting variations. My Chinese parents escaped the advancing Japanese army in the late 30's and took the Peter Maersk merchant ship to Guatemala. My mother had to adapt her Chinese cooking to the locally available ingredients. Instead of rice wine, for example, she used rum. She would stir-fry the broccoli with julienned ginger. It's really good with ginger! A variation is to use chicken instead of beef, and omit the oyster sauce.

Jenmadmax2 weeks ago

I added ginger and garlic to the broccoli as recommended by other commenters and would have missed them - but this recipe has a really good basics on the sauce- add some spices to taste... it's delicious and as someone usually only confident with Mediterranean recipes this was delicious and I appreciate learning ! The sherry v. rice wine/ sake was debated in comments so I just used both- and it was so good!!

ThatGirlAnna1 month ago

A little weird there is no garlic or ginger, use less oil because the beef already has enough fat already. I didn’t use the butter either which makes it healthier. Suggest steaming the broccoli with the lid on to help it cook faster

Maggie Bee1 month ago

This has officially become my go-to recipe for a stir-fry. Marinade works for beef … or chicken breasts. Sauce works for broccoli … or a mix of onion, mushrooms, red pepper, asparagus, zucchini, and bok choy (in other words, “cleaning out the fridge”). Perfect on rice, would be equally lovely on noodles. Husband dry-fries some raw cashews, added sesame seeds, and made a perfect garnish.

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