Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Tis’ Friday, and Madam Badwolf made the trek out for supplies whilst I handled work things and kept my favorite Ewok company.

She returned with a subprime slab of steak, which was not bad, as it was only $3.99 per pound. I’ll slice it thinly across the grain and give it a quick hot sear in my wok; thence, add some veggies and a nice stir-fry sauce.

She also returned with a fairly nice head of broccoli; I’ll slice that into small florets, so they cook to tender-crisp quickly; maybe add a red bell pepper sliced thinly as well as a Thai chili stemmed and sliced on the bias for an added kick.

One note, I use honey in this (hot honey, to be exact), so do cook this in a non-stick or a WELL SEASONED wok/skillet. The sugar in the honey can be a PITA, to remove if it burns or sets up in the pan.

This recipe is a serious bit of cultural misappropriation, but for once, I am not the one mugging a culture for its culinary delights and then applying my western tastes. This was, in fact, done by the culture itself.

From Wikipedia:

American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those found in China.

Chinese immigrants arrived in the United States seeking employment as miners and railroad workers. As larger groups arrived, laws were put in place preventing them from owning land. They mostly lived together in ghettos, individually referred to as “Chinatown”. Here the immigrants started their own small businesses, including restaurants and laundry services.

By the 19th century, the Chinese community in San Francisco operated sophisticated and sometimes luxurious restaurants patronized mainly by Chinese. The restaurants in smaller towns (mostly owned by Chinese immigrants) served food based on what their customers requested, anything ranging from pork chop sandwiches and apple pie, to beans and eggs. Many of these small-town restaurant owners were self-taught family cooks who improvised on different cooking methods using whatever ingredients were available.

These smaller restaurants were responsible for developing American Chinese cuisine, where the food was modified to suit a more American palate. First catering to miners and railroad workers, they established new eateries in towns where Chinese food was completely unknown, adapting local ingredients and catering to their customers’ tastes. Even though the new flavors and dishes meant they were not strictly Chinese cuisine, these Chinese restaurants have been cultural ambassadors to Americans.

The entire Wikipedia article is an engrossing read; I suggest you take a moment to read it.

Beef and Broccoli stir fry

Simple, easy and ready in a jiffy
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Course, Sauce, Snack
Cuisine American, Asian
Servings 4
Calories 452 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Soy Sauce Low Sodium
  • 1/2 cup Chicken Stock Low Sodium
  • 1/3 cup Honey Hot Honey works well here
  • 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Peeled, minced
  • 2 tbsp Sesame Oil Toasted is nice
  • 1 tbsp CornStarch
  • 2 tsp Hot Sauce "Rooster" Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Ginger Paste
  • 1/4 tsp Chili Flake To Taste
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 lb Flank Steak Slice Thinly and across the grain
  • 1 head Broccoli Cut into small florets
  • 1 ea Red Bell Pepper Washed, seeded, cut to thin strips
  • 1 ea Thai Chili Pepper Optional, stemmed, sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, chicken stock, honey, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, cornstarch, hot sauce, ginger, red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water; set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add steak and cook, flipping once, until browned, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in broccoli, peppers, and soy sauce mixture until the veggies are tender and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.

Notes

Another refrigerator velcro recipe.  In its favor, it is quick, tasty, and filling.  And healthier than takeaway.
To make this vegetarian-compliant, one can shuffle up the protein for tofu and swap the chicken stock for a veggie.
I’ll serve hot over rice, or perhaps ramen
 

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 33gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 1833mgPotassium: 998mgFiber: 4gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 999IUVitamin C: 139mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Beef, Broccoli, Stir Fry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

  Filed under: Cultural-Misappropriation, Pub Food, Quick, Stir-Fry

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