Ingredients
2/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce, divided
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tbsp. packed brown sugar, divided
2 tbsp. cornstarch, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. sirloin steak, sliced thinly against grain
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. low-sodium beef (or chicken) broth
2 tsp. Sriracha (optional)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1In a medium bowl, whisk 1/3 cup soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until combined. Add steak, season with salt and pepper, and toss until steak is coated. Marinate 20 minutes. Step 2In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add steak in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and cook until seared, about 2 minutes per side. Remove steak and set aside. Step 3Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until garlic is coated, then stir in broth, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, remaining 1/3 cup soy sauce, and Sriracha. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add broccoli and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper (if necessary), then return steak to skillet. Step 4Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions before serving.
What kind of steak should I buy? We like sirloin because it cooks quickly, and soaks up all the delicious flavors of the sauce. And it’s budget-friendly. Stir fries were created to use up cheaper, fattier cuts of meat. Good substitutes for sirloin: Flank, skirt steak, or chuck work wonderfully in this recipe too. Should I cut the steak before or after cooking? For stir-frys, always cut the meat before cooking! It cooks faster in smaller pieces and won’t need as much time to marinate (see below). Remember to slice the meat against the grain! Should I marinate the meat? Yes. A combo of soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch does wonders to keep cheaper cuts like sirloin tender. And since you’re using thinly sliced pieces, you don’t need to let it sit for too long – just 20 minutes is perfect. How do I get a good sear on my meat? It’s simple: Get your skillet HOT. Beef and broccoli is technically a stir fry, so the entire cooking process should happen hot and fast. Preheat the skillet for around 2 minutes. To test if the skillet is hot enough, sprinkle a drop of water into the heated skillet – it should sizzle and evaporate almost immediately. Once you have a hot skillet, add the meat, which should start sizzling immediately too. Make sure not to overcrowd. Putting too much steak in the skillet at once will cause the pieces to steam. How does the sauce thicken? Cornstarch is the classic thickener for Chinese-American stir fries, and it also lends the meat that silky, tender texture unique to Chinese-American takeout. Stirring cornstarch into the sauteed garlic, before adding the sauce ingredients, adds body to the sauce. Once you have all the ingredients in there, make sure to bring the sauce up to a boil, and simmer for at least 1 minute. Boiling activates the thickening powder of cornstarch. What is the key to keeping the broccoli bright green? Cut the broccoli into smaller, more or less evenly sized florets so it all cooks in about the same time. Then simmer the florets in the sauce just until they’re bright green and crisp/ tender.If you’ve given this recipe a try, we’d love to hear about your thoughts down below! Leave us a comment and a rating to let us know how you liked it. Looking for more dinner inspiration? Give these 70+ Chinese-American food recipes a try.
