Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Beef and Broccoli



Ingredients:
1/2lb-1lb Top Sirloin steak – cut across the grain into strips
1-2 crowns of Broccoli – parboil/blanch/steam to cook half way
1/2 onion
Garlic and Ginger, minced
5-6 dried chilis optional
Marinade
2 Tbs shaoxing cooking wine
2 Tbsp Shao Xing wine
1 Tbsp dark soy
1 Tbsp light soy
1 Tbsp water
1 Tsp cornstarch
Pinch of Baking Soda (this tenderizes the meat)
Basic Chinese brown sauce:
1-2 Tbs light soy sauce
1-2 Tbs shaoxing cooking wine
2 Tbs water
1 Tbs sambal ooleck
1 Tbs hoison
1 Tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tsp cornstarch, heaping, stirred in until dissolved
Here are most the ingredients laid out:

First, slice that sirloin into strips. For easier slicing, freeze the meat for 15 min to make it hard- it will slice easier. In the above pic, you start at the broad “square” end on the right side and slice in strips until your left with a tiny triangle of meat at the upper left end.
Pour marinade ingredients into a shallow bowl, stir so cornstarch is dissolved and add steak slices to marinade. I sprinkle pepper and white pepper on, and also add some garlic slices from one clove. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.
Cut the broccoli into florets- I steam these in the steamer basket that is part of my rice cooker. Also easy to boil water, drop in for 2-3 minutes and strain.
Cut onion into slices or large dice. Cut garlic into slices or minced. Same w ginger if available (not shown).
Make the Chinese brown sauce by adding all ingredients into a 1 cup pyrex, in any order. Stir.
Heat Wok on medium high- add 2 Tbsp of oil- peanut, canola, whatever can take high heat. Either strain excess fluid from marinade bowl or take meat out of bowl so excess liquid is removed and start stir frying the beef. Try to get individual pieces to sit flat against the wok pan, then let meat sit for 1+ minutes, then flip to get uncooked sides of meat slices cooked for another minute. Then perhaps 2 more minutes, stirring each 30 sec to get it cooked. Remove meat to bowl so that oil stays in pan.
In bowl with meat, add 1tsp black vinegar and 1 tsp light soy sauce
Let wok return to heat and add garlic/ginger mince. Fry 20 seconds then add onion slices. Stir for 2 minutes and then add broccoli florets. Add a squirt of fish sauce, 30 seconds of stir, add 1 tsp shao xing, stir for 30 seconds then empty veggies into bowl with meat slices.
Stir the chinese sauce to incorporate all ingredients again, then add to hot wok, 10 seconds to let it reduce while stirring then add bowl of all ingredients to the sauce, stir all ingredients for 30-45 seconds until the sauce clearly thickens and then pour back into the serving bowl.
Serve over Rice or noodles.