Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Slice 3 slices ginger, and thinly slice 2 cloves garlic and set it aside for later.

Finely mince 2 stalks green onions. Save the whites for stir-frying with the beef, and save the greens as the garnish at the end. Set them aside for later.

Cut 3-4 cups broccoli florets. I like to cut them stem side up and rip them into 1-inch pieces. This method keeps the florets more intact and you lose less of it. Set them aside for later.

In a small bowl, first dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2½ tablespoons soy sauce and mix it until there are no lumps.

Next, add in 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional), and 1 cup water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar, and set it aside.

(Optional) You can put the steak into the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice. This will firm up the beef, and make it easier to slice thinly.

To make the beef tender, we want to slice it against the grain. I like to slice them about ⅛ inch thick.

Optional Baking Soda Step: I personally don't find you need to add baking soda to your beef if you slice the beef against the grain, but if you want restaurant quality beef that is incredibly soft, then mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the beef and let it sit for about 20 minutes. It's extremely important to rinse off the baking soda before you marinate the beef, because the baking soda will leave a funky smell and flavor to the beef. Gently squeeze out as much as the rinsing water as possible.

Add 1½ tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons water with the beef slices, and mix it well. (Do not add the cornstarch or oil yet; we will mix this with the beef after it has finished marinating, right before stir-frying.)I like to use my hands so it doesn't rip the delicate beef slices. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes to marinate.

Set the stove to medium heat and wait for it to get hot. Once it is hot, add a bit of oil.

Add the broccoli to the skillet and stir-fry it for 1 minute. Then add 1/4 cup of water, put a lid on it, and let it steam for 2 minutes. After it has steamed, do a taste test, if you like your broccoli softer, steam it for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove it from the pan and set it aside for later.

Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the beef slices and mix well. Then coat the beef with 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.

Wipe off any residual water from the pan, and adjust the stove to high heat. Once the pan is hot, add a bit of oil and ginger slices and brown them for about 1-2 minutes, then add garlic slices and brown them for 30 seconds.

Add more oil to the pan, don't be shy with the oil, it will help seal in the cornstarch and kickstart the velveting which gives the beef a more tender texture.

Add the beef and the whites of the green onions in a single layer and sauté for about 1-2 minutes or until it's about 80% done. Don't worry if you see a bit of pink you'll fully cook it in the sauce at the end. Remove it from the pan and set it aside with the broccoli. You can pick out the ginger now and discard it if you like, or eat around it later.

Stir the sauce in the bowl (cornstarch settles to the bottom). Then, pour the sauce into the pan and keep stirring it until it bubbles and thickens. The sauce should change color from a light brown, to a dark brown color. Add in ½ teaspoon sesame oil now and mix it into the sauce.

Once the stir-fry sauce is thick, add the beef and broccoli back in, coat everything in the sauce, and stir-fry everything for about 1 minute.

Plate the beef and broccoli and serve with steamed rice! Enjoy!