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beef and broccoli stir-fry
Tender beef and broccoli in a sweet and tangy sauce—now you can make this takeout classic at home!
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Prepare Ingredients
Gather Cooking Equipment
In medium bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and baking soda until combined.
Use chef’s knife to cut steak into ¼-inch-thick slices (see photos below). Add sliced beef to bowl with soy sauce mixture. Wash your hands. Use rubber spatula to stir to coat. Let beef sit for 15 minutes.
Prepping Flank Steak Photos
Use chef’s knife to cut steak with grain (long lines running length of steak) into 3 or 4 strips (each about 2 inches wide).
Cut each strip across grain into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick.
While beef sits, in second medium bowl, whisk hoisin sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and remaining ¼ cup water until combined.
When beef is ready, heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute (oil should be hot but not smoking). Use rubber spatula to carefully add beef to skillet and spread it into even layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is lightly browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat and use clean rubber spatula to transfer beef to large plate.
america’s test kitchen kids newsletter
We share fun and engaging resources to help kids learn in the kitchen—and make something delicious along the way.
Food for Thought
Soft As Velvet
Stir-fries cook very quickly, which doesn’t allow much time for meat to get tender. To avoid chewy beef, this recipe calls for two special ingredients: baking soda and cornstarch. Baking soda keeps the meat tender, and cornstarch gives the beef a thin, sticky coating that protects it from the heat of the skillet. This is called “velveting,” and it’s a trick used in Chinese restaurants to keep meat soft and silky. Bonus: The cornstarch also helps make the sauce thick and glossy.
How to Mince Garlic
Follow the steps on the next two slides to peel and mince garlic. Garlic is sticky, so you may need to carefully wipe it from the sides of the knife to get the pieces of garlic back onto the cutting board, where you can cut them. You can also use a garlic press to both peel and mince garlic—so easy.
Crush clove with bottom of measuring cup to loosen papery skin. Use your fingers to remove and discard skin.
Place one hand on handle of chef’s knife and rest fingers of your other hand on top of the blade. Use rocking motion, pivoting knife as you chop garlic repeatedly to cut it into very small pieces.
