Paleo and keto followers swear by beef and broccoli as their high-protein, high-fiber meal, but without the right recipe, it’s missing one important factor: flavor.
The Meat
You can’t go wrong with any cut of steak, but your best bet is flank steak, which butchers take from the underbelly of the cow, and is naturally lean and wonderfully beefy in texture. A three-ounce serving of flank steak, cooked, contains 23 grams of protein for 224 calories.
Ask your butcher or the person at the supermarket meat counter for six ounces of flank steak sliced thin on the bias. Slicing it thinly against the grain of the muscle creates supremely tender meat that cooks fast.
The Rice
The main dish below already provides a hefty seven grams of fiber, so don’t overcomplicate things. Just serve the beef and broccoli with some cooked brown rice. (One cup has about three grams of fiber.)
Rinse 2 cups of short-grain brown rice several times to wash off excess starch. Transfer to a pot, add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer till tender, about 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, plus 1/4 cup
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 6 oz flank steak, sliced thin on the bias
- 2 oz dried mushrooms
- Vegetable oil for frying, plus 4 Tbsp
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 Tbsp diced white onion
- 4 stalks (about 1 lb) of Chinese broccoli or broccoli rabe, sliced, blanched, shocked in an ice bath, and patted dry
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup fried shallots, slightly crushed
How to Make It:
- In a medium bowl, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch, the egg,1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine, and the baking soda. Pour into a large zip-top bag, add the steak, turn to coat, and refrigerate overnight. In a large bowl, add the mushrooms, fill halfway with water, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Fill a deep medium-sized pot 2/3 of the way with oil and heat over medium-high till it reaches 350°F. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion. Cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the blanched broccoli, toss, and remove from heat.
- Using a spider basket or tongs, and working in batches, lower the beef into the fry pot, flash-fry for 10 seconds, and transfer to the wok or pan. Return the wok or pan to medium-high heat and toss; add the oyster and soy sauces. Reduce the mixture slightly, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, and 1/2 cup water from the mushrooms (reserve the extra mushrooms for another use). Cook for 1 minute.
- Combine the remaining cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water. Add this to the wok or pan and cook until thickened and saucy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve topped with fried shallots. Feeds 2
Nutrition per serving: 665 calories, 34g protein, 48g carbs (7g fiber), 38g fat
