← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 450 g flank or rump steak, sliced thinly across the grain
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda (optional)
• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 120 ml chicken or beef stock
• 400 g broccoli (1 large head), cut into bite-size florets
• 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)

Method

1. Toss the beef with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornflour and baking soda (if using) and leave it for 15 min. Stir the sauce ingredients together in a jug.
2. Blanch the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, until bright green but still crisp, then drain well.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok over high heat until it just smokes. Spread the beef out in one layer and leave it for 1 minute to brown, then flip and stir-fry until barely pink. Tip it onto a plate.
4. Add the rest of the oil, then the garlic and ginger, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the broccoli and toss to coat.
5. Stir the sauce (the cornflour sinks) and pour it in. Let it bubble for about 1 minute until thick and glossy.
6. Return the beef and its juices, toss everything together, drizzle with sesame oil and serve straight away with rice.

Tips

• The pinch of baking soda is the restaurant trick for very tender beef; do not add more or the meat tastes soapy.
• Swap in Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or broccolini; cut thick stems in half lengthways so they cook evenly.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Eats Made With Lau Omnivore's Cookbook