Chinese Beef and Broccoli — Restaurant-Style with Velveted Beef

Name: Chinese Beef and Broccoli — Restaurant-Style with Velveted Beef
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 400g flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain; 300g broccoli florets; Marinade: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 egg white, ¼ tsp baking soda; Sauce: 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp water; 3 cloves garlic, sliced; 1 tbsp ginger, sliced; 3 tbsp neutral oil

Prep:20 min

Cook:20 min

Serves:2–4

Difficulty:Medium

Beef and broccoli is one of the most ordered dishes at Chinese restaurants worldwide — and recreating the restaurant version at home comes down to one technique: velveting. This Chinese method of marinating sliced beef in cornstarch, egg white, and a touch of baking soda transforms tough cuts into impossibly tender, silky slices that rival any restaurant. The sauce is simple but perfectly balanced: oyster sauce for savoury sweetness, soy for salt, and a splash of Shaoxing wine for depth.

Beef and broccoli is a Cantonese-American classic that originated in Chinese-American restaurants in the mid-20th century. The velveting technique, however, is authentically Chinese and used across Cantonese stir-fry cooking.

Ingredients

• 400g flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain
• 300g broccoli florets
• Marinade: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 egg white, ¼ tsp baking soda
• Sauce: 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp water
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger, sliced
• 3 tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

1
Marinate beef with soy sauce, cornstarch, egg white, and baking soda. Mix well and let sit for 20 minutes.
2
Blanch broccoli in boiling salted water for 2 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
3
Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
4
Heat wok over high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil. When smoking, add beef in a single layer. Sear for 1 minute without moving, then stir-fry 1 more minute. Remove and set aside.
5
Add remaining oil. Stir-fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
6
Return beef and add broccoli. Pour in sauce. Toss for 30 seconds until sauce thickens and coats everything. Serve immediately over rice.

Pro Tips

💡Slice beef against the grain as thinly as possible — partially freezing the beef for 30 minutes makes this much easier.
💡The baking soda in the marinade is the secret to tender beef. Don't use more than ¼ tsp or the beef tastes soapy.
💡Don't overcrowd the wok when searing beef — cook in two batches if needed for proper browning.