Everyone is familiar with Chinese broccoli beef, I think. Actually, from what I hear, broccoli beef is Chinese American, not really an authentic dish from China. Either way, my Chinese grandma makes it, and it is delicious.
To be honest, it was REALLY hard to write up this recipe. My grandmother never measures when she makes this dish, and neither do I! I learned how to replicate her cooking simply by watching her many times. I probably never make this dish the same way twice, but somehow I still get the same flavor. The important part is to keep the ratio of ingredients in the marinade roughly the same. The marinade is what turns into the sauce for the broccoli beef. It should look roughly like this: not too dark but not too light.
As you’re cooking the beef in the marinade, simply add water if the sauce gets too thick or let it boil off if it is too watery. One last thing – the key ingredient for flavor in this recipe is Chinese black bean and garlic sauce. You should be able to find something like what I use at any Asian market.
I tried my best to write up measurements for this broccoli beef recipe. Please give it a try and let me know if you have any questions!
My Grandma’s Broccoli Beef
Ingredients
- 1 medium crown broccoli, in florets
- 1/2 lb beef, in bite size pieces
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese black bean sauce
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- ginger, thinly sliced (about 2 slices)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.
- Add in broccoli florets and cook for about 2 minutes, until just softened.
- Drain broccoli and set aside. This step can be done hours ahead of time while the meat is marinating.
- Mix cornstarch and water.
- Place beef in a small bowl and pour cornstarch mixture, making sure all the meat is submerged.
- Add in soy sauce and bean sauce. Mix to combine into a marinade. Let beef marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to stir fry, heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add ginger and garlic and cook until just turning brown.
- Add parboiled broccoli florets and stir fry.
- Remove broccoli florets and set aside.
- Add beef plus marinade into the hot wok. As the beef cooks, the marinade should begin to reduce into a thick sauce. If your beef is cooking too slowly and the sauce begins to stick to the wok, simply add a little bit more water.
- When beef is almost fully cooked and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, add the broccoli back in.
- Mix to combine and add salt to taste.
