Better than Takeaway Gluten Free Beef with Broccoli Recipe

Succulent ribbons of beef with soft rice and a rich marinade combine to make a home cook's version of this classic takeaway dish!

Feeds 2 adults; 1 toddler plus leftovers

Beef with broccoli is one of those dishes we have multiple times a month. We just get a hankering for the rich sauce, the thinly sliced ribbons of medium well beef and the crunch of fresh, lightly steamed broccoli all sitting on a bed of fluffy rice. How could you not crave that, right?

There was a time when food like this would have been relegated to takeout night, but with the purchase of a good quality wok, a dose of confidence and guidance from a few cookbooks on Asian cooking, we enjoy all our favorite Asian restaurant dishes in the comfort of our own home. And you know, there's nothing better than digging into a steaming plate of this beef with broccoli with night falling outside and feet pushed into slippers.

It's comfort food that you wouldn't expect to be comforting. The key to making this dish a success lies in two components: you need beef sliced ribbon thin. Invest in a good chef's knife or, for a more authentic feel, a heavy-handled cleaver. Our cleaver is one of three knives my husband had when I met him and he loves wielding it around, chopping everything from beef to fruit with it. Must be a man thing. But seriously, slicing the beef ultra thin means your family can eat twice off of one steak. And actually get full. Man-sized portions included.

The second component you have to get just right to make this dish really sing is the marinade. In fact, you could leave out all of the other ingredients and just serve up a plate of marinated beef. I'm telling you, it's that good.

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Ingredients:

For the marinade
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour (UK)/cornstarch (US)
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce

For the stir fry
1 good-sized Sirloin (UK)/Porterhouse (US) steak
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium sized onion, diced
1.5 cups of rice
3 cups of water
a bunch of spring onions/scallions
200g broccoli

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Instructions:

Better than Takeaway Beef with Broccoli

1. Prepare the marinade by combining soy sauce, sesame oil, water in a large bowl. Whisk in the cornflour, sugar, baking soda, ground coriander and ground ginger.
2. Thinly slice the beef using a sharp knife. It's best to slice the beef as thin as possible.
3. Slide the beef into the marinade and allow to marinate for at least an hour but no more than three. Because of a marinade's ability to "break down" and loosen the tissue in meat, leaving the thin slices marinating too long could result in tearing the meat. 
4. After the meat has marinated, put your rice on.

5. Meanwhile, in a wok over a high heat, add the sunflower oil and fry the onions and spring onions until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Strain the beef and add it to the wok as well, stirring continuously.
6. Add in three tablespoons of soy sauce and one tablespoon of sesame oil and cook for about three minutes. Add broccoli and toss to coat in the sauce. Cook until desired doneness of the broccoli and the beef is reached. Serve on top of rice.

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