Asain cuisine is known for its perfect balance of flavors. Incorporated are salty, sweet, hot, and bitter (or sour) ingredients performing together like a musical symphony like my Beef And Broccoli Stir-Fry.
The key to cooking any type of Asain cuisine is to have all your ingredients ready and all the prep work made in advance. Once the cooking starts everything moves really fast.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 (6-quart) saucepot, 1 (3-quart) saucepot, 2 large mixing bowls, 1 medium-size mixing bowl, 1 small mixing bowl, Wok, chef’s knife, 1 (1-gallon) resealable plastic baggie
Note: For best results, marinate the flank steak the day before.
Ingredients For the Marinade:
1/4 cup of soy sauce, low sodium
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
3 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, minced
Directions For Marinating Flank Steak:
Place into the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours to overnight. When ready to use, discard the liquid. Transfer the Flank steak to freezer to get firm but not frozen. When ready, remove the meat from the freezer to a meat-safe cutting board, slice super thin.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of flank steak, marinated and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of peanut oil (substitute Canola or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup of green onions, 1/4 cup green tops sliced on the bias, and 1/4 cup of sliced white parts
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 Fresno chili, seeded and minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of frozen broccoli florets, thawed, room temperature
1 tablespoon of Shaoxing rice wine (substitute a dry Sherry)
1 tablespoon of Tamari
3 tablespoons of soy sauce, low sodium
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of cornstarch (reserve 1 tablespoon to thicken the sauce)
1/4 cup of beef stock, unsalted, plus an additional 2 tablespoons
Ingredients For Cilantro Lime Rice:
1 1/2 cups of Basmati long-grain white rice, uncooked
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic minced
2 1/4 cups of water
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
3 limes, 1 zested, 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
1 cup of lightly packed chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems, extra leaves for garnish
Directions For Cilantro Lime Rice:
In a large bowl add the Basmati rice. Cover with cold water. The water will become cloudy from the starch being released. Drain and repeat this proccess 2 to 3 times or until the water runs clear. Drain well.
In a saucepot over medium heat bring the water up to a slow boil. Add 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and the zest of a 1 lime.
In another large saucepot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally until the rice has started to brown. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Pour the hot flavored water over the rice. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover (with foil first then secure the lid on top as seen in the above picture). Lower the heat to low to maintain a very low simmer.
Cook undisturbed for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit still covered for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Pour lime juice over the rice and toss with chopped cilantro. Set aside.
Directions For Beef:
Note: Place the beef in the freezer for about 30 minutes before slicing. Having the meat is somewhat hard makes slicing the beef very thin will be much easier.
In the meantime start by prepping all the vegetables for the dish. Transfer all the prepped vegetables onto a large plate. Place the thawed broccoli florets into a large bowl.
In a medium-size mixing bowl add Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce, 1/4 cup beef stock, Tamari, and light brown sugar, stir to combine. In another small mixing bowl add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of beef stock, whisk until it becomes smooth and paste-like.
Take the meat out of the freezer and slice the sirloin(s) into very thin slices, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, whisk to combine. Dredge the slices of beef into the cornstarch mixture until the slices are evenly coated. Set aside.
Preheat a wok over medium-high heat, add the peanut oil and swirl it around the wok. The wok should be just starting to smoke. Add the minced garlic, Fresno chili, and ginger, cook for 30 seconds. Immediately add the slices of beef spreading them out into a single layer, don’t overcrowd. If needed, do this step in batches transferring the seared beef to a plate until the next batch is finished. Allow the sliced beef to sear, do not stir allowing the meat to brown. Once the meat starts to caramelize on one side, 3 to 4 minutes, using a pair of tongs, turn the slices over and brown another 3 to 4 minutes.
Add all the seared meat back into the wok.
Add the julienned bell pepper, sliced green onions (the white parts) and sliced red onion, frequently stirring, cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Next, pour the Shaoxing rice wine mixture into the wok, stir to combine; cook for 30 seconds. Add the cornstarch *slurry and bring to a boil, cook for 1 more minute, or until sauce just starts to thicken. Finish by adding the broccoli florets, toss to warm through.
Remove the wok from the heat. Add sesame oil and toss.
To serve, ladle a generous helping of my Cilantro-Lime Rice in the bottom of a porcelain serving plate. Top with my Beef And Broccoli Stir-Fry. Garnish with sliced green onions (tops) and/or cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve hot.
There you have it, my Beef And Broccoli Stir-Fry.
*Cornstarch slurry: A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cold liquid with cornstarch. It’s used as a thickening agent and is particularly common in Asain dishes.
https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/
