Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli with Black Bean Sauce
by Ivy Manning
You won’t believe how good this Chinese take-out classic can be when you make it at home. It's easily adaptable to serve meat-lovers and vegetarians alike: see the variation below to serve one vegetarian, or check out the totally meatless version: Broccoli and Shitake Stir-Fry with Black Bean Garlic Sauce.
Serves 4
To learn more, read the article:
Flex Your Meals
11 oz. skirt or flank steak, sliced across the grain 1/4 inch thick
1 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes
1/4 cup black bean garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee brand)
2 Tbs. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2 tsp. Asian chile sauce or paste
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 lb. broccoli, crowns cut into florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped
Combine the steak, soy sauce, and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
Drain the mushrooms, reserving 2/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. In a small bowl, combine the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and the black bean sauce, wine, cornstarch, and chile sauce. Stir to dissolve the cornstarch and set aside. Heat 1 Tbs. of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add the beef and its marinade, and stir-fry until the meat is just browned, 45 to 50 seconds. Transfer the beef to a small bowl.
Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat.
Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, 15 seconds. Add the broccoli and 1/4 cup water, cover, and steam until the broccoli is just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the black bean sauce mixture, the stir-fried beef and the mushrooms and cook until the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 1 minute. Add the cashews and toss to combine. Serve with steamed rice.
Variations
To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat lovers: Reduce the flank steak to 8 oz. After steaming the broccoli, stir in the black bean sauce mixture and the mushrooms and cook until the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 1 minute. Add the cashews and toss to combine. Transfer 2 heaping cups to an individual serving bowl for the vegetarian portion, then add the stir-fried beef to the skillet and toss to combine.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with brown or white rice and
Miso Mushroom Soup.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories
(kcal):
410;
Fat
(g):
24;
Fat Calories
(kcal):
210;
Saturated Fat
(g):
5;
Protein
(g):
24;
Monounsaturated Fat
(g):
11;
Carbohydrates
(g):
27;
Polyunsaturated Fat
(g):
5;
Sodium
(mg):
1580;
Cholesterol
(mg):
45;
Fiber
(g):
5;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 103
, pp. 69
December 30, 2009
