Beef with Garlic Sauce (Chinese Takeout)
Tender stir-fried beef with a simple garlic sauce and broccoli. Just like what you'll find at American Chinese takeout restaurants!
Ingredients
- 12–16 oz flank steak or similar cut of beef
- 3 cups broccoli florets about 12 oz
- 3 green onions greens sliced thin
- ~2 teaspoon baking soda for tenderizing
- 1 tablespoon veggie oil I use avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
For Sauce:
- ½ cup chicken broth can sub water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon black vinegar or sub rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce optional
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Slice the steak against the grain into ~⅛” thick slices. Arrange the sliced steak on a cutting board or plate so it’s laying flat. Dust with 1 teaspoon of baking soda, then flip all the pieces and dust with the other 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rinse the baking soda off of the steak with water then thoroughly pat dry. Season the steak on one side with salt and pepper. This step tenderizes the beef to give it that iconic Chinese-takeout texture.
- While waiting on the steak, mix together the chicken stock and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add in the other sauce ingredients and mix well. The oyster sauce may not fully incorporate, that's okay, it will in the pan.
- Once the steak is prepared, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and try to arrange it such that the pieces lay flat in the pan. Cook until crispy on one side (2-3 minutes), then mix the steak around in the pan and cook until cooked through (another ~90 seconds). (The beef may have a reddish-pink hue, this is due to the tenderizing process and is normal!)
- Reduce the heat to medium, push the steak to the sides of the pan, and add the broccoli to the center, adding a little more oil if needed. Cook, stirring frequently, for about two minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, push the broccoli to the sides then add the garlic in the middle with a little more oil, sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Next, with the heat on medium-low, add the sauce. Cook everything together until the sauce has reduced and evenly coated everything.
- Remove from heat and add in the chopped green onion and sesame seeds, serve immediately over a bed of white rice (I use jasmine).
Notes
You can skip the baking soda step if desired, but this tenderizes the steak and makes it nearly impossible to overcook. If you want that signature tender beef that is common at American Chinese takeout restaurants, don't skip this step!
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25 batchCalories: 305kcal
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