Eats: Beef with Broccoli.

I have an unnatural addiction to a few things: anything leopard print, the travel section in bookstores, museums and last but not least, cheap takeout Chinese food. I don't know what it is about a greasy takeout container stuffed full of chicken chow mein for only $2 from the organic grocery store down the block or a crispy eggroll of just veggies for two quarters but I cannot get enough of it. I figured it was about time to test out some classic Chinese takeout recipes of my own, and this beef and broccoli is just the place to start. Delicious, comforting, fast and better than what I can get down the street. Serve it with some rice and you're set for a cozy night in. Keep reading after the jump to see the full recipe. File under mouth watering.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs flank or strip steak, sliced into thin strips (against the grain so it's not chewy) *Serves about 4
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp mirin (leave it out if you don't have it, no worries!)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2-1 bag of pre-washed broccoli florets
• A couple cracks of fresh black pepper

Recipe:

• Marinate the meat for one hour by combining the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, 1 tbsp soy sauce and water into a large bowl (whisk it together to get rid of all the chunks) and adding the steak as you slice it. Mix to combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for one hour (seriously!)
• In a small bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large wok, saute or grill pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 5 minutes, tossing often. Transfer broccoli to a large bowl.
• Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 5 minutes, tossing often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute a few more minutes. When the meat is cooked to your preference, toss it all back into the bowl you had the broccoli in earlier with some black pepper to make sure the sauce gets on every little morsel.

[Images via: Rainy Day Gal, recipe adapted from there too]