This is an easy and simple delicious beef and broccoli stir-fry with a Vietnamese twist! You can now stop ordering from the Chinese restaurant because you can make this for a fraction of the price with much much less oil. Β And who doesn’t like some extra delicious sauce for their rice? I definitely do, so I created this recipe by making it extra-saucy. Leftovers will be welcomed for your next day lunch because they reheat perfectly!
CHOOSING YOUR BEEF STEAK
The best steak cuts for marinades come from the flank, sirloin or chuck. My favorite is the Denver steak cut, which is part of the chuck, because it is so tender and offers a perfect marbling for my broccoli and beef stir-fry. They could be harder to find, but if your grocery store has it, it’s definitely worth it! Your beef should be sliced against the grain (against the alignment of the muscle fibers). This will make also make your marinating steak more tender.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is fish sauce? The Vietnamese twist in this recipe is obviously the famous fish sauce, calledΒ nΖ°α»c mαΊ―m! Although it not strictly Vietnamese and its origins date back from the Roman Empire, there is fish sauce in almost all the Vietnamese dishes! This famous condiment is made with small stacked fish with salt in big vats. They are fermented for months to years. NΖ°α»c mαΊ―mΒ is considered a natural flavor booster; it is part of the umami rich foods. Fish sauce is a staple in Eastern Asian cuisine, but nowadays, chefs also use it in non-Asian dishes to give a burst of flavors. However, you wouldn’t tell nor taste it because it is added in a small quantity, just enough to make it tasty!
How to pick a good quality fish sauce?Β There are different grades and quality of fish sauce. It will depend on how much you would like to invest and what uses you have. Michelin Guide explains what details to pay attention when picking your fish sauce. In our household, we use Red Boat fish sauce (not sponsored) because it is a chef’s grade certified gluten-free, preservative free and no added MSG. It is also sustainably sourced and made from wild caught black anchovies.
Do I have to use dark soy sauce? I highly recommend using dark soy sauce. This is what “stains” your beef and broccoli stir-fry and gives it that dark brown color making it more delicious and appealing. If you don’t have soy sauce, you can use regular soy sauce, the appearance will be much lighter.
How do I store leftovers? Any leftovers can go into an airtight container and refrigerated up to 5 days.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe
TIPS ABOUT MAKING THIS RECIPE
Marinating the beef: The salt contained in the soy and fish sauce helps tenderize the meat by breaking down the meat’s protein. I recommend to marinate for at least 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight, to achieve a nice tender texture.
Making the slurry: Have you ever wondered how do Asian restaurants make this luscious and silky sauce? It is because of the slurry, which is a mix of cornstarch and liquid, usually water. VoilΓ , that’s the secret! My version of slurry is even more extra, because I use beef bone broth with the cornstarch to boost the flavors and add some more proteins in my meal. That’s my other twist folks. Why use water when you can substitute with a flavorful broth to end up with a tastier meal? Anytime in my case! You can also use any vegetable or chicken/beef stock, that’s fine too!
Using steamed broccoli florets: For this recipe, I like to eat my broccoli crunchy enough, but not raw. That’s why I have indicated to par-steam them first. However, if you like your broccoli on the crunchier and raw side, you can totally omit this step. Alternatively, if you like them to be on the softer side, you can steam them for 3-4 minutes longer.
Cooking oil:Β I usually use avocado oil in this recipe not only for its higher smoking point and neutral taste, but also for the healthier benefits it offers as opposed to other types of oil. For Asian cuisine, it is recommended you choose a neutral tasting cooking oil.
Equipment
- Work or skillet
- Saucepan and steam basket
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef
- 1 TBSP dark soy sauce
- 1 TBSP fish sauce
- 1 TBSP oyster sauce
- 1 TBSP sugar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Β½ tsp pepper
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- ΒΎ cup of stock or bone broth of your choice
- 2 TBSP oil
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 big broccoli head or 2 small ones)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, garlic and pepper. Mix and set aside.
- Thinly slice beef into ΒΌ inch (0.5 cm) thick and against the grain. Add beef slices to the fish sauce mixture. Mix well to coat all the beef with sauce. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Remove beef marinade from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- In a saucepan filled halfway with water, bring it to a boil. Decrease to a simmer and add a steam basket with broccoli florets and cover with lid. Steam for about 4 minutes, the broccoli should stay crisp and keep their vibrant green color.
- Prepare the slurry: in a small mixing bowl, add cornstarch and stock/bone broth. Mix until all the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.
- In a wok or skillet on medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onion slices and stir-fry until golden, but still firm, about 5 minutes. Decrease heat to medium, add beef slices and cook them undisturbed for about 1 minute or until they are browned.
- Add the slur and stir until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Add broccoli florets and stir to coat broccoli with sauce.
- Remove skillet/wok from heat and serve hot over rice with sliced scallions if desired.
