Dorothy Huang: Jie Lan Niu Rou (Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce)

I think pretty much everyone's favorite Chinese food dish is beef with broccoli.  I'm more of an orange chicken girl, but I can definitely see the appeal.  It's a very non-threatening plate of food for anyone who is a little scared of what might be lurking in the kitchen of your local Chinese restaurant (chicken feet? intestines? dog?).  Oh, and that's probably also why they generally leave off the "in Oyster Sauce" part, too.  Luckily it's also really easy to make if you need something quick and tasty and you don't feel like waiting an hour for the delivery guy to finally show up with your partially cold and congealed food.

Note: Make sure your oyster sauce actually has oysters in it.  It should probably be the first ingredient.  Yes, there are some oyster sauces on the market with zero oyster.  Big foul in my book.

Jie Lan Niu Rou (Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce)
From Dorothy Huang

½ pound beef steak, sliced very thinly (such as top sirloin, flank steak, or NY strip)

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

½ pound broccoli crowns, cut into small pieces
3 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked until soft and sliced into strips (optional)

Marinade:
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon tapioca starch
Dash ground white pepper

Sauce:
6 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Mix sliced beef with marinade and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Heat wok with oil and add ginger and garlic when ready. Sauté briefly, then add marinated beef and stir. After two minutes, add broccoli crowns and stir. After another couple of minutes, add mushrooms (if using) and sauce, stirring well. Serve with rice as soon as meat is cooked through.

Makes 2 servings