PALEO AND keto followers swear by beef and broccoli as their high-protein, high-fiber meal, but without the right recipe, it’s missing one important factor: flavor.
This is the right recipe.
That’s because this recipe comes by way of Chris Cheung is the chef/owner of Brooklyn’s East Wind Snack Shop and the author of Damn Good Chinese Food, out now.
You can’t go wrong with any cut of steak, but your best bet is flank steak, which butchers take from the underbelly of the cow, and is naturally lean and wonderfully beefy in texture. A three-ounce serving of flank steak, cooked, contains 23 grams of protein for 224 calories.
Ask your butcher or the person at the supermarket meat counter for six ounces of flank steak sliced thin on the bias. Slicing it thinly against the grain of the muscle creates supremely tender meat that cooks fast.
The main dish below already provides a hefty seven grams of fiber, so don’t overcomplicate things. Just serve the beef and broccoli with some cooked brown rice. (One cup has about three grams of fiber.)
Here’s Cheung’s foolproof method: Rinse 2 cups short-grain brown rice several times to wash off excess starch. Transfer to a pot, add 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer till tender, about 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Yes, this recipe requires a little bit of work (fear not, flash-frying is novice-friendly), but the payoff of experiencing a way-better-than-takeout version of the dish is worth it. If you’re having trouble finding any ingredients for this recipe, Amazon’s got you.
Beef and Broccoli
What You’ll Need:
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 egg
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 oz flank steak, sliced thin on the bias
2 oz dried mushrooms
Vegetable oil for frying, plus 4 Tbsp
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
2 Tbsp diced white onion
4 stalks (about 1 lb) Chinese broccoli or broccoli rabe, sliced, blanched, shocked in an ice bath, and patted dry
1/2 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp MSG*
1/4 cup fried shallots, slightly crushed
How to Make It:
1. In a medium bowl, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch, the egg,1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, and the baking soda. Pour into a large zip-top bag, add the steak, turn to coat, and refrigerate overnight. In a large bowl, add the mushrooms, fill halfway with water, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Fill a deep medium-sized pot 2/3 of the way with oil and heat over medium high till it reaches 350°F. (To check the temp, we like the ThermoPop, $35 at thermoworks.com.) Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a wok or large pan over medium high. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion. Cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the blanched broccoli, toss, and remove from heat.
3. Using a spider basket or tongs, and working in batches, lower the beef into the fry pot, flash-fry for 10 seconds, and transfer to the wok or pan. Return the wok or pan to medium-high heat and toss; add the oyster and soy sauces. Reduce the mixture slightly, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, 1/2 cup water from the mushrooms (reserve the extra and mushrooms for another use), and MSG. Cook 1 minute.
4. Combine the remaining cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water. Add this to the wok or pan and cook until thickened and saucy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve topped with fried shallots. Feeds 2
Nutrition per serving: 665 calories, 34g protein, 48g carbs (7g fiber), 38g fat
*MSG does not cause headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, or other maladies. It’s safe. For more, read our analysis of the ingredient.
A version of this article originally appeared in the December 2021 issue of Men’s Health.
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