Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Why you will love it

• 20 minutes total, which beats standing in a takeout line by a mile.

• The shopping list is short: beef, broccoli, garlic, and ginger, and the sauce comes from pantry staples.

• About 25 grams of protein per serving for around 430 calories.

• One pan, and the sauce builds right where the beef seared, so nothing tasty gets left behind.

• Leftovers reheat well, which makes it sneaky good for lunches.

Tips

• Slice against the grain. Look for the lines running through the meat and cut across them, not along them. That is the whole difference between tender and chewy.

• If thin slicing is hard, pop the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes first. Firm meat slices cleaner. That is optional, it is extra time, so skip it when the clock is running.

• Get the pan properly hot before the beef goes in. A warm pan steams the strips gray instead of searing them brown.

• Stir the sauce right before you pour it. Cornstarch sinks every single time.

• If your pan is on the small side, cook the beef in two batches so it sears instead of steaming, and add about 3 minutes.

Swaps and variations

• Gluten free: use the same amount of tamari instead of soy sauce. What changes: basically nothing in flavor, and the whole dish becomes gluten free.

• Honey instead of brown sugar: use 1.5 tbsp. What changes: a glossier sauce with a slightly floral sweetness.

• Chicken instead of flank steak: what changes: cook the strips until they reach 165 F (74 C) with no pink, about 3 to 4 minutes, so add roughly 2 minutes to the cook time.

• Frozen broccoli: thaw it and pat it dry first. What changes: softer florets and less char, but dinner still happens.

What to serve

• Steamed white rice, the classic, because the sauce has to land on something.

• Rice noodles, boiled while the beef rests, if you want it soupier feeling.

• Cauliflower rice if you are cutting carbs, with the sauce spooned over generously.

Storage and reheating