Beef and Broccoli

When I worked in Coral Gables, FL over twenty years ago, I would often walk from the office to Miss Saigon Bistro – an amazing Vietnamese restaurant owned by my former co-worker’s family. The food and service was exceptional. I moved away and I’m no longer able to walk in for lunch, but I make a similar dish at home as often as I can. This is my Asian-inspired version that is easy enough for weeknight meals and delicious enough to serve company and picky eaters. I love how I can change up the vegetables. If you don’t like broccoli, use your favorite vegetables instead, such as asparagus, snow peas, sugar snap peas or red and green bell peppers. Use whatever you like and what’s in season. I’ve also used frozen vegetables, making this dish a year round crowd pleaser!

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General Ingredients	Sauce
1.5 lb flank steak, trim excess fat and silver skin	1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 bunch of fresh broccoli florets	1/4 cup sherry or sake
4-5 scallions, cut on a bias	2 generous Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to season the meat	2 Tablespoons cornstarch
canola oil to coat the skillet	1 generous Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or paste
garnish with red pepper flakes or toasted sesame seeds	1 large garlic clove, mashed to a paste
cooked Jasmine or long grain rice

HOW I MAKE IT
In a Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger and garlic. I love these pastes by Gourmet Garden. They are quality products they are such time-savers. I always have the ginger and basil pastes on hand.
Note: If mincing fresh ginger, use a spoon to scrape off the skin.

Cut the flank steak in half lengthwise with the grain and then cut each half against the grain into very thin strips. You want manageable bite-size pieces. Evenly sprinkle with kosher salt and set the beef aside in a large non-reactive bowl, like glass.
Note: I like to cut the beef when it’s very cold. It’s easier to control the knife and slice thin. Sometimes, I’ll throw the beef in the freezer for 10 minutes before slicing.

Pour half of the sauce over the beef strips and massage the beef so all the pieces are well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside, at room temperature, so the flavors can marry. Cook your rice according to the package directions.

In a wide skillet over medium-high heat, lightly coat the bottom with canola oil and sauté the broccoli for a few minutes. Remove the broccoli and set aside. No matter which vegetable you use, you want them to have a bit of a bite to them. If using snap peas, trim the edges. Sugar snap peas are juicier than snow peas and equally crunchy – just slice them thin. If using asparagus, trim the woodsy bottom and cut into half-inch pieces on the bias. If using bell peppers, trim the top and bottom, remove ribs and seeds and cut into thin strips.
Note: If using fresh broccoli, add a 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and cover with a lid to steam the broccoli before sautéing. Broccoli will not completely soften, just remove the raw texture. If using frozen broccoli, add the thawed broccoli to the skillet and sauté as mentioned above, omitting the extra water.

Using the same skillet, increase the heat to high and coat the bottom with oil. Sear the beef strips in batches. Once you place them in the skillet, don’t move them so they sear well and brown, then flip and brown on the other side. Each batch should take about a minute to cook. You want to sear and brown the meat on both sides in a short amount of time. This will ensure the meat is still tender and not dry. Avoid overcrowding the skillet so the beef doesn’t steam.

Once the last batch is seared, return all the beef to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, add the broccoli and scallions, and pour the reserved sauce over the beef. Quickly stir everything around to evenly coat and warm through as the additional sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and you’re ready to plate and enjoy.

Plate over long grain white rice and garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and extra scallions. You could also add toasted sesame seeds as a garnish. My family doesn’t like sesame seeds so I leave them out. This is such an easy and satisfying meal. My mom simply loves this dish! She’s always amazed at how tender the meat is and how quickly it comes together.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.