Beef & Brocoli

Beef and broccoli, a popular Chinese-American dish which likely originated in the United States in the 1920s. A fusion dish where Chinese immigrants adapted existing techniques and ingredients with locally available broccoli, which was popularized by Italian immigrants in the US at the time. While the dish is now a staple in many Chinese restaurants, it’s not a traditional Chinese dish and is more accurately described as American-Chinese cuisine. However, it is good, comforting and very easy to prepare. It requires a little planning, but if you have all the ingredients, you can prepare the dish in 30+ minutes.

INGREDIENTS
Serve 4
1 lb flank steak, very thinly sliced into bite-sized strips
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Corn Starch
2 Tablespoons Water

1 Large Broccoli cut into florets

2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 Teaspoon Ginger grated
3 Garlic Cloves grated
1/2 cup hot water
6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Light brown sugar
2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 tsp sesame seeds, optional garnish

Preparation
Start by marinating the beef. In a small bowl, mix the beef strips with the corn starch, baking soda and water. Mix well, until the water is fully absorbed. Let the beef rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In another small bowl, mix the hot water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, corn starch and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Using a wok, pour a cup of water and bring to a boil. Pour the brocoli florets and boil for about 40 seconds. (no more, as they will cook again in the final stage of the dish).
Drain the water out and set aside.
Heat the Wok again and when hot, pour one tablespoon of vegetable oil. When it starts smoking, throw in the meat strips and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside on a plate.
Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil and saute the garlic and ginger for about a minutes.
Then add the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil. It will thicken quite rapidly, so pour the beef strips back and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the brocoli florets and mix well.
Serve on a large plate and sprinkle the sesame seeds and serve hot with steamed rice.