Beef and Gai Lan Stir-fry
This is a popular dish at Chinese restaurants. The beef is very tender and flavorful. This is my version you can make at home.
Ingredients
Beef marinade
- ½ pound flank steak
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teapsoon cornstarch
Gai lan
- 1 pound gai lan (Chinese broccoli)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG (optional)
Stir-fry
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
Preparing the beef
- If you're using flank steak, you can skip this step. Otherwise, if you're using another cut, place it in a plastic bag and pound it with a meat mallet or rolling pin for a few minutes to tenderize it.
- Place the beef on a cutting board and determine the direction of the grain. Cut the beef ACROSS the grain into ¼-inch thick slices (see blog post for details).
- Add the beef to a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients and marinate for at least one hour, but ideally overnight.
Preparing the gai lan
- Cut the gai lan in half, separating the stems and leafy parts.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- Blanch the stems for 60 seconds, then add the leaves and blanch for another 30 seconds. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Stir-fry
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the garlic for 15 seconds.
- Add the gai lan and cook for another minute. Remove the gai lan to a plate.
- Put the wok back on the stove (see notes for deep-frying) and add the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Add the beef in a single layer and cook for 30-45 seconds on each side until just brown.
- Push the meat to the side of the wok, and add the sauce mixture to the empty space. Cook the sauce until it thickens, then quickly toss with the meat. Remove from the heat.
- Add the gai lan to the wok and quickly toss to coat in the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!
Notes
Deep-frying the meat: When I make this for other people, I like to go the extra mile and deep-fry the meat instead of pan-frying it. The reason is because this is what restaurants do. Heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Add all the beef at once, then use a metal spider to agitate the beef until the meat separates. Fry for just 20 seconds until the outside is no longer pink, then remove the beef.