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Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

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.
Servings: 4
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

For the beef:

  • 1 pound flank steak cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

For the stir-fry 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

For the aromatics:

  • 6 cloves garlic pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 inch-piece fresh ginger minced (about 1 tablespoon)

For the stir-fry:

  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1¼ pounds broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into ⅛-inch-thick slices
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
  • 3 medium scallions sliced ½-inch thick on diagonal

Instructions

  • Combine the beef and soy sauce in a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a measuring cup.
  • Combine the garlic, ginger, and 1½ teaspoons peanut oil in a small bowl.

Brown the beef:

  • Drain the beef and discard the liquid.
  • Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking.
  • Add half of the beef to the skillet and break up any clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds.
  • Transfer the beef to a medium bowl.
  • Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut oil in the skillet, and repeat with the remaining beef.

Cook the broccoli:

  • Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking.
  • Add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the water, cover the pan, and lower the heat to medium.
  • Steam the broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer the broccoli to a paper towel–lined plate.

Cook the bell pepper:

  • Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil to the skillet; increase the heat to high and heat until just smoking.
  • Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Clear the center of the skillet; add the garlic and ginger to the clearing and cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir the mixture into the peppers.

Finish and serve:

  • Return the beef and broccoli to the skillet and toss to combine.
  • Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add to skillet.
  • Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds.
  • Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

Notes

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