Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Method

1. 1

   First we cut the beef into quarter inch strips, slicing against the grain (lines) of the meat.

2. 2

   Next, we will velvet the beef, which is the process Chinese restaurants use to tenderize the meat. First mix a quarter to half teaspoon of baking soda with a couple tablespoons of water, then massage it into the beef.

3. 3

   Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and a teaspoon of oyster sauce to the beef and mix with your hands again. Let it marinade for 20 minutes to one hour max. The baking soda is very powerful so do not use too much or let the meat sit too long.

4. 4

   Wash the cutting board and then cut the broccoli head into florets.

5. 5

   Mince 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and roughly a half teaspoon of fresh ginger. If using dried ground ginger, use a quarter teaspoon and add it to the sauce.

6. 6

   Make the sauce: mix together a cup of beef broth, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, tablespoon of brown sugar, a few dashes of sesame oil, and a few dashes of white pepper.

7. 7

   Get that wok smoking hot with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in it and then throw in the velvet beef. Let it sear for about thirty seconds on one side to get a little caramelization, then stir fry it for another minute or so until cooked.

8. 8

   Remove the beef then throw in the broccoli florets. Stir fry for about a minute or two, I like my broccoli a little more crunchy but if you like your broccoli soggy then you can cook it longer.

9. 9

   Remove the broccoli florets and toss onto the same plate that you have the beef set aside on.

10. 10

    Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, let it heat for 20 seconds, then throw in the garlic and ginger. Stir them around for only about 5 seconds, it is very easy to burn the garlic so be careful and be quick.

11. 11

    Pour a couple glugs of Shaoxing Wine around the perimeter of the wok and then deglaze the pan by scraping all the browned bits off the pan. You can use another type of cooking wine (preferably a type of rice wine) if you do not have Shaoxing Wine, but it will taste less authentic.

12. 12

    After the alcohol has cooked off a bit (about thirty seconds to a minute tops) then add in your stir fry sauce.

13. 13

    Stir the sauce and let some of the moisture cook off. Bring the sauce to a heavy simmer and then add in a cornstarch slurry - that is half water and half cornstarch. Usually you only need a little bit, like one or two tablespoons of slurry in order to thicken the sauce. Do not use too much.

14. 14

    Once the sauce is thickened to your liking, add the beef and broccoli back to the pan. Stir everything together for about 30 seconds and then take the wok off the heat. Enjoy! :-)