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beef-and-broccoli

Beef and broccoli is always a staple when ordering Chinese food. It's simple, yet hits the spot every time. Here's the good news–it's not hard to make! You just need to follow a few simple techniques. This is my special recipe, where I like to add some thinly sliced white onions at the very last minute to help add some freshness that cuts through the rich dish. Side note: I used a wok for this, but if you do not have one, you can just use a large saute pan (11+ inches). 1. Properly marinating (or velveting) the beef: this is the most important step. It starts with massaging water into the beef to begin hydrating it and loosening up those muscle fibers. Baking soda and corn starch are probably the most essential ingredients here–they help the beef stay super tender and juicy. 2. Having everything ready to go: before unleashing that fire, everything must be prepped in advance, because the cooking goes quick. You will not have time to do prep as you're cooking. 3. HIGH heat: one of the most characteristic flavors in Chinese cooking is that "wok hei", the slightly smokey charred flavor that's unlocked from cooking at a high heat. Chinese restaurants have special burners that are WAY hotter than the stove you have at home. Just make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point (I love avocado, beef tallow would probably be best). Bring that oil all the way up to its smoke point before cooking anything to get that glorious wok hei. 4. Cooking in stages: I wish it was as easy as throwing everything into the wok at once, but that would lead to uneven cooking, and cooking too many things at once will release steam instead of that hard fry/sear you want. I first do my beef, remove it from the pan; then the broccoli, remove that; then fry off my garlic and ginger, add in that sauce, and once it's glossy and thick, I add everything back in there. Just one minute to let that sauce to absorb and it's ready to go.

Ingredients