Broccoli Beef

Would you believe that we broke away from the curry for a minute? I make curry at least once a week. It’s cheap. It’s easy. It’s filling. It’s loaded with vegetables. I’d call it our super meal, if there were such a thing. It’s definitely our go-to when we want to slip back into something healthier after going out to eat for awhile [did we eat it on Sunday? Why yes, yes we did].

This, though? Broccoli beef is actually easier. I didn’t really know it was possible. There is less prep involved since there isn’t as many vegetables, and the hardest part is cutting steak against the grain and whisking together your sauce. Flank steak was three times mildly more expensive than the chicken we usually eat, but that’s beside the point. The simple sauce is worthy of taking a bath in. I cheated and steamed the broccoli in the microwave [chop in a bowl with a splash of water, cover with a plate, cook for a minute or two]. I couldn’t find a worthy bottle of mirin [rice wine similar to sake] so I now have a lovely bottle of sherry. I didn’t notice much of a difference. Now I have sherry for other things! Like drinking! [I kid]

Inspiration: Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb flank steak, sliced against the grain
• 4 cups of broccoli, cut into florets [I also sliced up the stalks to eat more of it up]
• 1 1/2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil like vegetable or canola oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water + 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons mirin or sherry
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup broth

Preparation

1. Place the sliced beef in a ziplock bag.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of mirin/sherry, and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch.
3. Pour the marinade into the bag of beef. Squish around. Continue preparing other stuff.
4. Steam the broccoli for two minutes or so until bright green and crisp tender
5. In another bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons mirin/sherry, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and broth.
6. Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat and add the oil.
7. Place the beef in a thin layer and allow to cook for a solid minute without touching it.
8. Add the garlic, and stir for one minute.
9. Add the sauce and broccoli, stirring to combine.
10. Bring the sauce to a boil, and add the cornstarch dissolved in water.
11. Cook until sauce has thickened some, a few minutes, and serve over your carb of choice!