Want the taste of Chinese food in your very own kitchen? This beef and broccoli dish really tastes like Chinese food! And there’s no MSG. And you can make it with brown rice and not charge $1 extra. I just wish I had a wok, because that would make cooking this dish extra fun. Try it even if you don’t have one. Cast iron works wonders. So do dutch ovens. No, but seriously. This meal was super easy to make. I can’t actually take credit for it, either. After prepping all the ingredients and starting to brown the meat (prepping is key in a dish like this – so prep everything before you start, even if you don’t have a tired/hungry/cranky baby!), Richie started crying. He was ready for dinner. And that meant that I couldn’t slave over a hot stove and sear meat. So I put Zeke in charge on dinner. He was a champ (thanks, husband!) and really cooked dinner for us that night. And it was tasty. And pretty healthy, too.
So next time I’ll remember to slice the meat instead of being a bit lazy and buying the pre-cubed meat from the butcher. I think that as my only mistake. And while the original recipe called for shallots, I only had regular onions – I don’t think it made such a big difference in overall taste in the dish (this is starting to be a popular occurrence in this house).
Oh, and broccoli. Don’t throw the stems away! Just shave them, cut them into strips, and cook alongside the rest. It’s really the tastiest part. Sure, they don’t look as pretty, but they’re less bitter than the flowery part. And they are bug-less, so some people only eat the stems as it is (the kosher Chinese place in Manalapan?). I eat both, but I like having both stems and flowers for the contrast and uber-broccoli-ness of the dish. Mmm.
Beef and Broccoli (Chinese food style!) Adapted from Chef and Home:
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces beef filet, sliced (this is important! I cubed it and it was a little tough)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons flavorless oil
- 3 tablespoons diced onion (about ½ small white onion)
- 3 tablespoons diced garlic
- 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ounce ginger, cut into long strips
- 3 cups broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used more, an entire bunch. I really like broccoli)
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ cups rice, cooked
Directions:
- Heat a cast iron pan, wok, or Le Creuset over high heat
- Season the beef with salt and pepper
- Place beef in pan and seat on one side for 3 minutes.
- Flip and sear on the other side for 3 minutes.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and oil to the pan and sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes., stirring occasionally
- Add the scallions and ginger. Stir fry for an addition 2 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, beef stock, and balsamic.
- Cover, turn the heat to high, and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked beef to the broccoli and sauté for an addition 2 minutes.
- Serve over rice.
