OMG Chinese Beef with Broccoli

We are ripe for another OMG recipe, don’t you think?  Have I got just the one for you.  For those that watch Rachael Ray, you know that she is fond of saying that in less time than you can order and receive take-out, you can make something just as delicious at home for a fraction of the cost.  It’s true, you know.  And she must have been talking about Jaden’s Chinese Beef with Broccoli.  In just about 15 minutes flat, you will be eating the most OMG Chinese Beef with Broccoli that has ever touched your tastebuds.  If you don’t have two kids using your legs as “safe base,” then you might even get it done in 12 minutes.

I first “met” Jaden a few years ago when she started writing for me on The Well Fed Network.  Her pictures and commentary were much the same as what you have grown to love and know her for on her own Steamy Kitchen website.  Drool-worthy pictures and humorous content, she was one to watch, and back then, a star in the making.

Flash forward a few years, she’s blogging for Club Med (how do I land a gig like that?!), doing regular cooking segments on tv, and touring in support of her first cookbook.  Her first cookbook!

The kids are fond of both beef or chicken with broccoli when we get take-out from the local Chinese food joint, so the Beef with Broccoli was the perfect first recipe to try from her new cookbook.  On the first bite I took from the pan, it was so hot that I burned my tongue.  The food was so good, I went back for a second bite, clearly not learning my lesson with the now-burned tongue.

When it comes to meat, Nick is a little fickle.  Some days he can outeat his dad; other days he swears that he has never liked meat nor has it ever touched his lips.  I watched as he took his first bite.  I know better than to say anything or to call attention to the fact that he might or might not like it.  He shoveled it in faster than I’ve seen in awhile.  Actually, the last time I saw him eat meat that fast is when he has Bulgogi.  As for Madeline, I could barely cut it fast enough to keep up with the speed in which she was eating it.

Suffice it to say, the dish was a huge hit all around the table.  Easy to make, quick preparation and OMG taste status to boot.  You can be sure that we’ll be making this one again and again and again… now to try the rest of the recipes in the cookbook.  If this one is any indication, we’re in trouble.  But the very best kind.

Hungry for more of Jaden’s delicious recipes?
Garlic Scallion Noodles and Happy Shrimp were part of our Chinese New Year celebration.

A year ago today … my baby was nine months old.
Three years ago today … the magazines!  Love this time of year.
Four years ago today … Cinnamon-Pancetta Carbonara (another OMG recipe) and Nick’s baby face.

Chinese Beef with Broccoli
Recipe courtesy of Jaden Hair

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL
1 lb (500 g) top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thick strips
-1/2 lbs (750 g) broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

BEEF MARINADE
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

STIR-FRY SAUCE
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry) (I used white wine since I forgot this item on my grocery list)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Stir-fry Sauce.

In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Set the pan over high heat and when hot, add the high-heat cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

Pour in the Stir-fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.