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Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

Source
Adapted from The Make-Ahead Cook, America's Test Kitchen
Yield
4 servings
Prep info
45 min prep + 15 min cook
Prep time
Not set
Cook time
1 hour
Time required
1 hour
Oven preheat
N/A
Type
Mains - Misc
Status
Edited
Tags

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c hoisin sauce
  • 3/4 c water (180mL; divided: 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 c soy sauce (60mL)
  • 2 T vegetable oil (divided)
  • 1 T grated ginger (fresh; 15mL)
  • 2 t minced garlic
  • 1 t crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • 1 lb sandwich steak (450g; see note)
  • 1 lb broccoli florets (cut into 1" pieces)
  • 2 carrots (peeled & cut into 2" long matchsticks)
  • 1/2 thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 T sesame seeds (toasted)

Method

1. Whisk hoisin, 1/2 cup water, and soy sauce together in bowl; set aside. Combine 1 tsp oil, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes in small bowl.

2. Heat 1/2 T oil in 12" nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef, breaking up any clumps, and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir beef and continue to cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds; transfer to separate bowl. Repeat with 1/2 T oil and remaining beef; transfer to bowl.

3. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli, carrots, and onion; cook for 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/4 cup water, cover skillet, and lower heat to medium. Steam vegetables until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet. Add ginger-garlic mixture to center of skillet and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir mixture into vegetables.

4. Return beef with any accumulated juices to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Notes

Note - Meat: Instead of sandwich steak, the original called for flank steak, trimmed and sliced thin across the grain.  To make slicing easier, freeze it for 20 minutes first (or only partially thaw it).

Note: When toasting the sesame seeds, be sure to shake the pan frequently to prevent them from burning.

Note from source: Why This Recipe Works: The key to stir-frying is ensuring that the pan is hot enough to sear the meat, deepen the flavors, and evaporate the excess liquid, all in a matter of minutes. We wanted to take advantage of this technique to make a flavorful beef and broccoli stir-fry. Because a stir-fry comes together so quickly, it was critical to get all the ingredients organized ahead of time. Slicing the steak very thin ensured that it was in and out of the skillet quickly, reducing the risk of overcooking. A simple combination of hoisin sauce, water, and soy sauce flavored with sautéed ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes gave our stir-fry bold flavor without making our ingredient list too long.

SJ Note 27 Jan 2015: Pretty tasty. Needs more sauce, so I've doubled that.  I didn't up the ginger or garlic; may revisit that after the next try. We halved the whole thing, and it made 2.5 servings, and the leftovers kept pretty well for lunch, so I've left it as 4 servings and it can make lunches in the future.

History