Beef and Broccoli

• servings: 4
• active time: 15 min
• total time: 30 min

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups broccoli florets

For the Sauce -

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp apple cider vineger

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tsp fresh ginger

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions

Prep everything ahead of time as the actual cooking part goes very quickly. To prep the steak, trim off any fat and slice it across the grain into very thin bite-size pieces. Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together thoroughly.

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large skillet over high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes (oil should be shimmering).

Add the broccoli and cook for 4-5 minutes, tossing/stirring often (it'll be tender-crisp). Transfer it to a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the beef in a single layer (just sort of "sprinkle" it into the pan ensuring it's spread out a bit) and don't touch it for a minute. Stir/flip it with cooking tongs and cook it for another minute or so. It cooks fast and will easily overcook and become tough. Leaving it a bit rare at this stage is ideal.

Add the broccoli back to the pan and pour the sauce in. Stir/toss until coated and the sauce has thickened (about 1-3 minutes). Take the skillet off the heat and serve immediately.

Notes

Cut the broccoli into fairly small florets so they cook fast and more evenly. One pound of broccoli typically yields 3-4 cups once cut into florets. You will find toasted sesame oil in the Asian foods aisle of the grocery store (I sometimes see it labeled as "pure" sesame oil). It's darker in color and tastes different than regular sesame oil. It's a flavor enhancer and has quite a strong taste. Fresh ginger is way easier to grate when frozen! I always keep some fresh ginger in the freezer (in a ZipLoc) and I use my Microplane grater/zester to easily grate it.