A quintessential Chinese-American dish, beef and broccoli is a classic that graces the menu at almost every takeout spot across the country. In terms of popularity, it's right up there with orange chicken, and for very good reason: The combination of tender, seared beef and broccoli tossed in a garlicky, velvety sauce is practically impossible to resist. Ready to learn a few tricks to help you master this simple stir-fry? Read on for my top tips for getting perfect results every time.
First, we’re going to create our marinade by combining sherry, vinegar, salt, pepper, ⅓ cup of soy sauce, cornstarch, and brown sugar. Tip: I recommend mixing all of your marinade ingredients together and tasting before adding your salt, so you can adjust the salt levels as needed. Once it has reached perfection, add your sliced steak, and toss to fully combine before letting it sit for 20 minutes.
Now, we’re going to prep our other ingredients. Finely chop the garlic and ginger, then slice the scallions, separating the green and white parts. Combine the garlic, ginger, and white parts and reserve them in a small bowl, then set the green aside to use later. We’ll prep the broccoli now as well, chopping it into florets and transferring to another small bowl to use later.
Let’s focus on starting our sauce. I like to use a measuring cup to combine my sauce, but you can also use a bowl. Whisk together the broth, oyster sauce, sriracha (if you want some heat), the remaining soy sauce, cornstarch, and brown sugar. Once combined, arrange your ingredients so everything is ready to go for you: the beef, garlic mixture, broccoli, and sauce.
Then, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil. Add half of the beef to the pan and cook for 1 minute undisturbed, then you can stir and cook until fully cooked through. Don’t be worried if it starts to char in some spots, that’s what we want. Transfer to a plate, then repeat the process with your remaining beef, making sure to add more oil to the pan. You can discard the excess marinade at this point—we won’t need it anymore.
After cooking all of your beef and setting it aside, return the skillet to medium heat and add more oil. Add the garlic mixture and cook while stirring occasionally until fragrant—this should only take a couple of minutes max. Then, you can add the broccoli florets and cook until slightly softened. Then, add the stir-fry sauce you created, and cover the pan. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then uncover before adding the beef to the skillet. Toss to fully coat and combine everything together. Cook, tossing the mixture frequently, until the beef is warmed through and the broccoli is slightly tender but still crisp.
Now, we can serve: If you’re serving with white rice (and I highly recommend you do), divide the white rice among the plates, and top with the stir-fry before sprinkling on the reserved green scallions and sesame seeds.
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