Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli . . .

- from Saveur magazine . . .

The best way to make this easy American Chinese staple at home according to the New York Time's Grace Young, author of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, the “Stir-Fry Guru.”  

        I‘d have to agree. She considers stir-frying “a form of culinary magic in which ingredients are transformed,” and this adaptation of her beef and broccoli is a great example. Mixed with soy sauce, ginger, and rice wine, the beef caramelizes slightly when it hits the hot wok, lending it a deeper, richer flavor. I like to blanch the broccoli florets first to cut down on stir-fry time, but you can toss them in raw if you don‘t want to bother. —Farideh Sadeghin, SAVEUR contributing editor

Ingredients:

3⁄4 lb. flank steak, cut into 2" wide strips, 1/4" thick

2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. plus 1 tbsp. Shao Hsing rice wine

1 1⁄2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 (1/2") piece ginger, peeled and minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. chicken broth

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

2 tsp. dark soy sauce

2 tbsp. peanut oil

12 oz. broccoli florets and stems, cut into 1/4" thick pieces, blanched

1 tbsp. fermented black beans, rinsed and mashed

1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions:

        Toss beef, soy sauce, 2 tsp. rice wine, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine remaining rice wine, the chicken broth, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. Heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a 12" wok or nonstick skillet over high; cook black beans and garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add beef in a single layer and cook, without stirring, about 1 minute; stir, and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer beef to a plate. Heat remaining peanut oil and cook onions until translucent, 2 minutes. Add broccoli and stir fry until heated through, 2 minutes; add beef and its juices plus reserved sauce. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve with rice.