Beef and Broccoli

Beef and broccoli! In Guangdong a bit more classic of a combination might be Beef with Gailan, but especially these days beef with broccoli is as classic of a homecooking combination as any.

BEEF MARINADE

* Beef – loin, flank, round (牛外肌肉), 175g

* Salt, ¼ tsp

* Sugar, ½ tsp

* Cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp

* Black pepper powder (黑胡椒粉), ¼ tsp

* Baking soda (苏打粉), ¼ tsp

* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp

* Dark soy sauce (老抽), ½ tsp

* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp

* Oyster sauce (耗油), ½ tsp

* Water, 3 tbsp

* Oil, ½ tbsp

(you can optionally swap the baking soda with papain – if so, use 1/8 tsp; you can also add egg white – if so, add a half an egg white)

Thinly slice the beef into 2-3mm sheets. Add all the other ingredients except the oil – mix very well, 1-2 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Add the oil, mix well.

Marinate for at least 2 minutes and up to 60 minutes.

PORK MARINADE

* Lean pork (瘦肉) – e.g. loin, 175g

* Salt, ¼ tsp

* Sugar, ½ tsp

* Cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp

* White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ¼ tsp

* Soy sauce (生抽), ½ tsp

* Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ½ tsp

* Oil, ½ tbsp

Thinly slice the pork into 2-3mm pieces. Add all the ingredients except the oil, mix well. Add the oil, mix well.

SAUCY STIR FRY

* Broccoli, one small head, ~250g post trimming

* Marinated Beef or Pork from above

* Oil for pre-frying:

If passing through oil in a skillet, ~0.75 cups, or enough to fill a skillet to 0.5cm-1cm depth

If ‘pre stir-frying’, 3-4 tbsp

If passing though oil in a wok, ~2 cups, or enough to submerge a skimmer or a spider

* Oil for cooking: 3-4 tbsp

* Garlic, 3 cloves, minced

* Ginger, ~1cm, minced

* Liaojiu, a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp

* Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp

* If you want a saucy stir fry, prepare:

• Water, 5 tbsp
• Oyster sauce (蚝油), 1 tbsp
• Cornstarch (生粉), 1 tbsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Salt, 1/8 tsp
• MSG (味精), ¼ tsp

* If you want a not saucy stir fry, prepare:

• Water, 1 tbsp
• Oyster sauce, 1 tsp
• Cornstarch, ½ tsp
• Sugar, ½ tsp
• Salt, 1/8 tsp
• MSG, ¼ tsp

* Oil, for sheen, ~1/2 tbsp of the cooking oil

Cut the broccoli into small florets. Blanch for 90 seconds, then strain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.

If passing through oil in a skillet, heat the oil up to 190C, then add in the broccoli. Cook for 45 seconds, flipping a pieces here or there to help cook evenly. Strain, reserving the oil for stir frying.

If doing a simple pre-stir fry, fry the beef (or pork) over a high flame for about 90 seconds, or until it looks obviously cooked.

If passing through oil in a wok, heat the oil up to 165C, then add in the beef. Cook for 30-45 seconds, strain.

If stir-frying in a wok, first longyau: get your wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add in your oil (3-4 tbsp) and give it a swirl to get a non-stick surface. Swap the flame to medium-low and immediately add in the garlic and ginger, fry until fragrant (~30 seconds). Swirl in the wine and give a quick mix.

If stir-frying in a skillet, add in the oil and swap the flame to medium-low. Immediately add in the garlic and the ginger, fry until fragrant (~60 seconds). Swap the flame to high. Scooch the aromatics and the oil to one side of the pan. Add the wine to the other side of the pan and cover. Cook for ~10 seconds covered, jiggling the skillet, then uncover.

Either way, add in the beef and give a brief fry, ~15 seconds. Then swirl in the soy sauce, and after a brief mix add in the broccoli. Swap the flame to medium-low add in the sauce. Once thickened, ~15-30 seconds, heat off and add the oil.