Stir-Fried Beef with Broccoli and Oyster Sauce

A saucy, flavorful dish that's great served with steamed white rice. I adapted this recipe from Weichuan's Chinese Cuisine II. The original recipe called for Chinese broccoli and beef tenderloin or sirloin, but I used regular broccoli and flank steak instead.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. of trimmed flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

2 tsp. baking soda

6 tbsp. water

Marinade:

1 tbsp. rice wine
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/8 tsp. white pepper
2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 lbs. regular or Chinese broccoli
5 scallions, cut into 1" lengths

Sauce:
3 tbsp. oyster sauce

2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
20 tbsp. water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Slice the flank steak thinly across the grain into 1" x 2" slices. Place in a medium bowl. Add the baking soda and 6 tbsp. water. Stir well to combine and let sit for 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Place the beef in a colander and rinse very well with cold/tap water. This step ensures that you will have the most tender beef imaginable! Pat dry with paper towels and place the beef into a bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and mix to combine; set aside.

2. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute; remove to a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

3. Add 1/4 cup of oil to a hot wok or saute pan over high heat. Saute the beef and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until beef is just browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

4. Leave 1 tbsp. of oil in the pan and saute the green onion until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Add the beef and stir briefly; pour in the sauce and bring to a boil; stir (about 30 seconds) until sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off heat and remove to a serving platter.

5. Serve with steamed white rice.

Flank steak. Make sure to buy the pre-trimmed variety - otherwise, it's a pain in the you know what to do it yourself.

Slice the flank steak thinly, then marinate with rice wine, soy sauce, baking soda, cornstarch, water and vegetable oil.

Oyster sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, and baking soda.

Blanch the broccoli.

Rinse with cold tap water to stop the cooking.

Scallions & oyster sauce mixture.

Saute the beef in 1/4 cup of vegetable oil; remove to a plate & set aside. Leave 1 tbsp. of oil in the pan to saute the broccoli.

Saute the scallions until fragrant, then add the broccoli and cook until tender-crisp.

Add the beef and the sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened, turn off heat and serve on a platter.