This take-out favorite combines tender meat and fresh broccoli in a full-flavored sauce. Copycat Panda Express beef and broccoli is ready in less than 30 minutes!
1poundtop sirloin or skirt steakcut into this strips, across the grain
¼cupdark soy saucedivided
2tablespoonsmirin(can substitute rice vinegar)
1tablespoonoyster sauce
1teaspoonginger paste
1teaspoonroasted garlic paste
¼cuplight brown sugar
2tablespoonscornstarch
1cupbeef broth
2tablespoonscanola oil
2broccoli crownscut into small florets
2-3green onionsliced
1tablespoonstoasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Combine sliced meat with 1 tablespoon of the dark soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of mirin.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce: 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger paste, garlic paste, and the brown sugar. Whisk a bit of the beef broth together with the cornstarch to dissolve the cornstarch and then combine this and the rest of the beef broth with the remaining stir-fry sauce ingredients.
Drain the marinade from the meat and discard (extra liquid in the meat will prevent a good sear when we cook it).
Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat until the oil just begins to smoke (or a drop of water in the pan sizzles immediately). Drop the meat into the pan stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the meat is seared and brown on both sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
Add a thin layer/just a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of the pan. (You can use a clean pan or the pan you've just used to cook the meat.)
Add the broccoli florets to the skillet and bring the water to a simmer. Simmer/steam over medium-high heat, tossing the broccoli a few times until it begins to soften and turns vibrant green, about 3-4 minutes.
Add about half of the prepared sauce to the broccoli and bring to a simmer. Stir and simmer 1-2 minute until the sauce thickens.
Add the seared meat back into the skillet. Add additional sauce if you'd like.
Heat until the meat is hot all the way through and the sauce is thickened to desired consistency.
Remove from heat. Add green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Toss and serve over rice.
Notes
For tender beef, sear quickly in a hot skillet. Extra sauce boils the meat and turns it tough and chewy.Choose a cut of beef that is tender to begin with. Inexpensive options include top sirloin or skirt steak, but you can use tri-tip or beef tenderloin as well.Do not overcook the broccoli. Tender crisp is best and will cook in 5-10 minutes.Mix together the sauce ingredients before you start cooking so that the sauce is ready to add to the pan and the meat or vegetables don't overcook because you're trying to multi-task.Leftover broccoli beef is delicious. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheated beef and broccoli may not have tender crisp broccoli, but the flavors are still delicious.