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Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 26, 2013

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon dry sherry 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth 5 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon cornstarch 6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil1 ¼ pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into ⅛-inch-thick slices⅓ cup water 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces3 medium scallions, sliced ½-inch thick on diagonal

Before You Begin

To make slicing the steak easier, freeze it for 20 minutes. Serve this dish with white rice.

Instructions

  1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in small bowl.
  2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in skillet, and repeat with remaining beef.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil to skillet; increase heat to high and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Clear center of skillet; add garlic and ginger to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into peppers. Return beef and broccoli to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 ¼ pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into ⅛-inch-thick slices
⅓ cup water
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 medium scallions, sliced ½-inch thick on diagonal

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 ¼ pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into ⅛-inch-thick slices
⅓ cup water
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 medium scallions, sliced ½-inch thick on diagonal

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 ¼ pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into ⅛-inch-thick slices
⅓ cup water
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 medium scallions, sliced ½-inch thick on diagonal

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For our beef and broccoli recipe, we wanted to make sure our beef was tender and our sauce deeply flavored and silky. Before we stir-fried the beef, we marinated thin slices in soy sauce for an hour, drained them, and cooked the beef at a very high heat. We then sautéed and steamed the broccoli in the same pan and added the garlic last to keep it from burning. A bit of cornstarch made the sauce cling to the meat and vegetables.

Before You Begin

To make slicing the steak easier, freeze it for 20 minutes. Serve this dish with white rice.

Instructions

  1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in small bowl.
  2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil in skillet, and repeat with remaining beef.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil to skillet; increase heat to high and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Clear center of skillet; add garlic and ginger to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into peppers. Return beef and broccoli to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

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