Beef and broccoli is one of the most beloved Chinese-American dishes. This tasty combination of tender beef slices and crisp broccoli florets in a savory brown sauce is the ultimate comfort food. But with so many different cuts of beef to choose from, how do you know which one makes the best beef and broccoli?
In this article, we’ll compare the most common cuts used for beef and broccoli and look at why flank steak comes out on top for getting ideal texture and flavor. Read on for tips on selecting prepping and cooking flank steak to achieve restaurant-worthy beef and broccoli at home.
An Overview of Beef Cuts for Stir-Fries
Several different cuts of beef can work well in stir-fry dishes like beef and broccoli. Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular options:
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Flank steak – This thin, flat cut comes from the belly region and has a distinct grain. It can be tough if overcooked but has robust flavor. Flank steak needs to be sliced against the grain and marinated to maximize tenderness.
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Sirloin steak – Taken from the hip/rump section, sirloin offers decent marbling for tenderness and moisture. It can get tough and dry if cooked too long.
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Chuck steak – From the shoulder area, chuck contains more connective tissue. It benefits tremendously from marinating but can deliver the best beefy flavor.
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Tenderloin – Extremely tender due to minimal connective tissue. But it has a milder flavor and quite a high price tag. Best reserved for special occasion stir-fries.
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Top round – A lean, moderately tender cut from the back leg. Can dry out if overcooked. Requires a strongly flavored marinade.
So which of these popular stir-fry cuts provides the ideal balance for beef and broccoli?
Why Flank Steak Makes the Best Beef and Broccoli
When it comes to achieving the perfect trifecta of rich flavor, tender texture and reasonable cost, flank steak clearly comes out the winner for beef and broccoli. Here’s why it edges out the other contenders:
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Thin profile – The long, flat shape of flank steak cooks quickly and evenly. Thin slices cook fast to medium-rare doneness.
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Inherent beefiness – Flank steak has a naturally robust, beefy flavor that stands up well to intense stir-frying. Its taste pairs sublimely with the broccoli.
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Adequate marbling – While lean, flank steak has sufficient marbling to keep it moist during quick cooking. The fat also bastes the meat from within.
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Cost-effectiveness – Flank steak is noticeably more budget-friendly than premium cuts like tenderloin. You get tremendous value for your money.
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Easy slicing – When sliced against the visible grain, flank steak cuts neatly into the thin strips perfect for stir-fries.
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Marinates well – The somewhat loose texture enables marinades to penetrate flank steak deeply to tenderize it.
No other everyday stir-fry cut quite measures up across the board. Flank steak’s ideal fusion of full-bodied flavor, tender texture, thin profile, stir-fry performance and affordable cost makes it the clear winner for homemade beef and broccoli.
Tips for Preparing Flank Steak for Beef and Broccoli
Follow these tips to get the most out of flank steak’s potential for stir-fry success:
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Marinate for 1-2 hours – Use a marinade with soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil and garlic to maximize flavor and tenderness.
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Slice against the grain – This yields short muscle fibers for tenderness. Cut into thin 2-inch strips.
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Use very high heat – A super hot wok or skillet properly sears the meat and vegetables to seal in juices and flavor.
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Cook in batches – Don’t crowd the pan. Cook just 1-2 portions at a time.
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Stir-fry briefly – Flank cooks quickly. 30-60 seconds total cooking ensures medium-rare doneness.
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Let meat rest – Allowing it to rest post-cooking enables juices to redistribute for a tender texture.
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Reheat beef at end – Return beef to pan and mix into finished sauce to reheat before serving.
With proper marinating, slicing, seasoning and stir-frying, flank steak delivers perfect beefy tenderness and flavor every time.
Recipe for Easy Restaurant-Style Beef and Broccoli
This recipe produces better-than-takeout beef and broccoli in under 30 minutes using flank steak for the best results.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb flank steak, cut into thin 2-inch strips
- 1 lb fresh broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking sherry
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for stir-frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Make a marinade by combining soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil and garlic. Add steak strips and marinate for 1-2 hours.
- Blanch broccoli until crisp-tender then shock in ice water. Drain.
- Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and stir-fry marinated steak in batches for 30-60 secs until browned. Set aside.
- Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Stir-fry broccoli for 1 minute.
- Return steak and juices to wok. Toss together with broccoli. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve over steamed rice. Enjoy!
Flavorful Additions for Beef and Broccoli
Once you’ve nailed the basics, try taking your flank steak beef and broccoli to the next level:
- Mix in other veggies like bell peppers, carrots or snap peas
- Add garlic, ginger and chili for a kick
- Toast cashews, peanuts or sesame seeds for crunch
- Swap the steak for chicken, shrimp or tofu
- Serve over noodles or rice noodles instead of rice
- Garnish with green onions, cilantro or sesame seeds
- Experiment with sauces like oyster sauce, plum sauce or hoisin
- The possibilities are endless!
With flank steak as your base, you’re guaranteed to achieve tender, beefy perfection. Keep the other ingredients and preparation simple to let the steak shine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef do restaurants use for beef and broccoli?
Most Chinese restaurants typically use flank steak for their beef and broccoli dishes. Flank steak provides the optimal blend of rich flavor, tenderness, easy slicing and value.
Can I use a cheaper beef cut like chuck steak or round steak?
It’s best to avoid very tough cuts like chuck or round steak for stir-fries. While cheaper, they can become chewy and stringy when stir-fried quickly. Flank steak delivers far superior texture.
What about using pricier cuts like tenderloin or ribeye instead of flank?
You can certainly use more expensive cuts like tenderloin or ribeye, but the extra cost usually isn’t warranted for stir-fries. Flank steak provides the best balance of taste and affordability.
Should I slice the beef with or against the grain for stir-frying?
Always slice flank steak against the grain (perpendicular to the muscle fibers) to achieve a tender texture. Cutting with the grain produces longer, chewier muscle strands.
Does the beef need marinating before stir-frying?
Marinating is highly recommended to tenderize flank steak and infuse loads of flavor. Even 30 minutes of marinating makes a noticeable improvement.
Can I use frozen flank steak?
Frozen steak will work provided it’s fully thawed before marinating and cooking. Partial thawing can prevent marinade penetration.
What is the ideal doneness for beef in stir-fries?
A medium-rare doneness (light pink inside) is best to keep the beef tender and juicy. Overcooking leads to dry, chewy meat.
So for your next homemade beef and broccoli, choose flank steak for the ideal cut. With proper preparation and cooking, you’ll achieve restaurant-worthy results. The flavorful beef pairs perfectly with the crunchy broccoli in the savory sauce. It’s a reliable way to put a flavorful meal on the table any night of the week.
How To Make Slow-Cooker Beef & Broccoli
- Sirloin Steak: We recommend sirloin for this recipe, but you could sub in flank, hanger, or even chuck steak if you wanted. Whatever you use, the most important thing is to cut your steak thinly against the grain before cooking it. This helps tenderize the steak. If you’re having trouble getting thin slices, try freezing the steak; this will help you get those thin even cuts.
- Sauce: While more traditional versions may include oyster and dark soy sauces, here we’re opting for beef broth, regular soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and sriracha. These ingredients are easy to find (you probably have most of them in your pantry already!) and still come together to create a rich, flavorful sauce that satisfies all your beef and broccoli cravings.
- Garlic & Green Onions: The classic combination of garlic and green onion is going to give this dish even more flavor and aroma. Plus the fresh green onion adds a bit of extra texture and bite to the dish.
- Cornstarch: In this recipe I’m using a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch dissolved in a little broth separate from the crockpot) to thicken the broth and turn it into a rich gravy. If you don’t have cornstarch on hand, you can substitute flour, but you’ll need to use about twice as much flour as you would cornstarch to get the same thickening power (so for this recipe that would be ¼ cup). I’d still recommend dissolving the flour separately in a little of the broth before stirring it into the slow-cooker, so you don’t get lumps.
- Broccoli: Tender, flavorful broccoli is one of the big superstars of this dish. The fresh, green flavors of the florets work perfectly against the rich and savory sauce and beef, keeping this famous dish from being overpowering.
- Jasmine Rice: In my opinion, jasmine rice is the way to go with beef & broccoli, but any long-grain rice will work as well.
As this is a slow-cooker recipe, much of the total cook time is passive, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to cross items off your to-do list while the steak cooks. That being said, your first step will be to add the sirloin into the slow-cooker and cover it in the sauce mixture of beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, Sriracha, garlic, and green onions. Give this mixture a mix to incorporate everything together.
Then replace the lid to the slow-cooker and set it to cook on low for about 3 ½ to 4 hours, until the beef is tender and cooked through.
Once the beef has cooked, spoon out a few tablespoons of the aromatic broth into a bowl and whisk in the cornstarch until there are no clumps and the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Then pour this slurry back into the slow-cooker and stir the beef and broth mixture until completely combined. Add in your broccoli florets, replace the slow-cooker lid, and cook for another 20 minutes until the broccoli is cooked through and tender and the sauce has thickened considerably.
Dish the beef and broccoli out into individual bowls on top of cooked jasmine rice, and top to serve with sesame seeds and fresh green onions.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
- Make sure your cornstarch dissolves completely. If the cornstarch isn’t fully dissolved before you stir the slurry back into the rest of the broth in the slow cooker, it’s not going to magically dissolve when it hits that hot broth. If you have cornstarch clumps floating in your slow cooker, any thickening power the cornstarch has will be trapped within those clumps– it’s not going to thicken anything like that!
- Boil your broth to activate the cornstarch. Once you’ve stirred the (fully dissolved cornstarch) slurry into the sauce, you must bring the broth to a full boil to activate the cornstarch’s thickening power. If you don’t boil the broth, the cornstarch won’t be able to do anything.
Any leftover slow-cooker beef and broccoli will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored properly in an airtight container. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
- 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. sriracha
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
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- Step 1 In a large slow-cooker, add steak. Add beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, Sriracha, garlic, and green onions.
- Step 2 Cover and cook on low until beef is tender and cooked through, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- Step 3 When the steak is tender, spoon a few tablespoons of the slow-cooker broth into a bowl and whisk with cornstarch. Pour into slow cooker and toss with the beef until combined. Add broccoli and cook, covered, 20 minutes more.
- Step 4 Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve over rice.
