Stir-fried beef with broccoli
Silky marinated beef quickly stir-fried with broccoli and seasoned with just salt and ginger — no oyster or soy sauce, and simple to make.
- 23 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Sensitive types react easily, and Grain Rain's humidity brings on hay fever and itchy skin. This dish skips oyster sauce, soy sauce and seafood and relies on salt and ginger; beef builds qi and blood and broccoli supports digestion — simple and gentle, to steady the body's defences.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 8 min- 1Mix the beef with a little of the salt, the sugar, the cornflour and 1 tbsp water, then seal with a little oil and marinate for 15 minutes.
- 2Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute and drain.
- 3Heat the oil in a wok, fry the ginger until fragrant, then spread the beef in the wok and sear over high heat for 30 seconds before stirring until mostly cooked.
- 4Add the broccoli and the remaining salt and toss for 1 minute until the beef is just done. Serve with rice.
Chef's tips
- Slice across the grain, and work the water into the marinade before sealing it with oil — that's what keeps the beef tender.
The TCM view
Beef is sweet and neutral; it strengthens the spleen and stomach, builds qi and blood and firms the sinews and bones. Broccoli is sweet and neutral and supports digestion. Ginger is pungent and slightly warm and settles the stomach. Mild ingredients and simple seasoning build the spleen and qi to steady defensive qi and cut down damp-season allergies.
