This dish was introduced to the West by Chinese immigrants in the 1920s. As the years passed, the recipe gained global popularity, renowned for its combination of tender beef and nutritious broccoli. The original recipe required Chinese broccoli, known as Gai Lan, which was unavailable in the West at that time and had to be replaced with Western broccoli. In our rendition of this classic recipe, we use broccolini, a cross between Western and Chinese broccoli, and high-quality Portuguese beef, called Bife da Vazia.
Ingredients for 4-5 servings:
For the beef:
- 500 gr Bife da Vazia (beef sirloin)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (you can substitute it by dry sherry)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For stir-frying:
- 500 gr broccolini (or regular broccoli)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 very thin slices of ginger
- 4-5 tablespoons cooking oil with a high smoke point (e.g. rice oil, light olive oil or sunflower oil)
- 2 green onions
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
Preparation instructions:
- Marinate the beef:
- Cut the beef into thin slices, and place them in a large bowl.
- Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, corn starch, baking soda, and black pepper to the bowl.
- Mix well and let the beef marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 3 teaspoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons of corn starch, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Whisk the ingredients together until well combined, and set the sauce aside.
- Prepare the vegetables:
- Remove the hard bottom of each broccolini stalk.
- Cut the broccolini into bite-sized pieces.
- Chop the garlic and ginger into small cubes.
- Cut the green onion into pieces.
- Blanch the broccolini for about 2 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
- Cook in a wok:
- Heat a wok and add oil, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add the marinated beef to the wok and mix it well with the garlic and ginger.
- Spread the beef slices evenly over the bottom of the wok, and fry without stirring until dark and crispy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Turn the beef over, and fry the other side for a couple of minutes without stirring.
- Add the prepared sauce to the wok, and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the beef evenly. Stir frequently to prevent the sauce from burning.
- Add the blanched broccolini to the beef and mix well.
- Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then remove the wok from the heat.
- Add the green onion and sesame oil to the wok and mix well.
- Garnish and serve:
- Serve the dish with basmati or jasmine rice.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!
