Beef + Broccoli

 More often these days, I'm finding less of a need to order Chinese take-out because it is so incredibly easy to just make my own.  This beef and broccoli recipe knocks it out of the park, and I think it's even better than what you can find at any take-out place!

Are you getting hungry just looking at that?!  I am.  And I'm sad that it's almost all gone.  I think I'll have to make more this weekend.

This recipe is from Gaby Dalkin's cookbook, Eat What You Want, and with even some changes to what I did, it would still be so good.  She calls for blanching the broccoli florets, but I think you can skip this step and throw in the broccoli in with everything else and save yourself from washing yet one more pot.

I also tend to have trouble finding flank steak when making beef broccoli recipes, so I used skirt steak - I thought it was still very good.

In general, I think that when you're trying out a recipe and can't find every exact ingredient, it is completely fine to substitute with what you have.  More often than not, I tend to like it even better than the original and want to just keep it that way.

I hope you try this out!

BEEF AND BROCCOLI

INGREDIENTS:

•  1 lb. flank or skirt steak, cut into 1-inch strips
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ ground white pepper
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• Cooked rice
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• Sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Season the beef with the salt and pepper.  Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cornstarch together. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, pour 2 tablespoons sesame oil until smoking.  Add the beef and cook, stirring until just cooked through.  Set aside on a plate.
4. Add the remaining oil to pan and cook the sliced onions until soft.  Add the broccoli and cook briefly (they tend to get too soggy if cooked longer).  Add the garlic sauce and stir.
5. Add the beef back in and continue cooking until all the way cooked and sauce has reduced a little.
6. Serve over steamed rice with sesame seeds and scallions.  Enjoy!