Stir Fry – Fast Cooking Methods

One of the most common stir fry recipes in the world today is the Shanghai Stir Fry Beef & Broccoli Dish.  The ingredients for cooking this dish are;

Stir Fry Recipe

• Small flank steak (1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb.)
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce.
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Kosher salt
• ¾ lb. broccoli crowns, cut into 2 inch florets (to yield about 4 heaping cups.)
• ¼ cup canola or peanut oil.
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed.
• 2 inch piece ginger peeled and cut into thin matchsticks.
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes.
• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce.

Before you start cooking, make sure all the ingredients are properly prepared according to the above descriptions.  Bring every ingredient close to the cooking area, within reach by the wok.   Begin to make magic when ready.
Bring 2 quarts of water with 2 teaspoon kosher salt to a boil.  Slice the steak in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into thin slices.  In a medium bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with the sherry, cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon salt.  Add the steak, toss to coat, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until it softens to a tender crunch, 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain in a colander and then rinse under cold water until the broccoli cools. Set a large, heavy skillet or a large wok over high heat for 1 minute.   Pour in two tablespoons of oil and when it starts to shimmer, add the beef.   Cook the beef, stirring frequently, until it loses most but not all of its raw color, for about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a large plate.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoon oil and garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt. 

Stir fry for 30 seconds.  Add the broccoli and 3 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring to incorporate any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the broccoli warms through, about 1 minute.   Stir in the beef, the oyster sauce, and the remaining 2 tablespoon soy sauce.  Cook by stirring for about 1 minute.  Serve immediately while it is hot and in steaming flavor. This Shanghai Beef Broccoli Dish is one of the most popular Chinese dishes serve in Chinese Restaurants all over the world.  Easy to prepare, this can be done at home given the time and ingredients to prepare the dish perfectly.  While Chinese Dishes are commonly popular in every country in the world, this particular dish is made simple to be done at your very own kitchen household.

When trying out to stir fry this particular dish, others have successfully tried using frozen vegetables from their refrigerators, without the broccoli.  With the right condiments, they were successful in creating beef with vegetables using the same procedures as above.  It is fun to experiment on using other vegetables and maybe some new herbs to add flavor to your taste.  What is important in this dish are the ginger, soy sauce, the oyster sauce, and chili flakes. 

Try this at home and surprise your family.  Happy cooking to everyone. 

If your are interested, Check our other latest Recipe for Stir fry here.