Start spreading the news.........New York , New York!

What do you do with a New York Steak when it's too big for one person but not quite big enough to feed two?  I'll tell you what I did, I  asked my friend Danielle, the trained chef!  She suggested broccoli beef.  Sounded great, but I'd never even attempted to make it before.  Did that stop me?  Oh, hell no!  I already had broccoli and all I really needed was oyster sauce.  Granted, oyster sauce is not a staple in my kitchen,but I love trying new ingredients in my cooking.   I've always been tempted to buy it and today was the day!

Let me just say, the broccoli beef was easy to make (my favorite type of recipe) and it's definitely a keeper!  Jim (my guinea pig... uh, I mean my loving husband) completely cleaned his plate and said he'd like to have it again.  Always a good sign. 

There are two or three ingredients you might not normally have in your pantry but if you buy them for this dish, I promise you'll use them again.  For me it was the oyster sauce.  I had all the rest of the ingredients on hand, so I spent  $4 on a new ingredient.  I'll use the oyster sauce again, so I haven't wasted any money.  Yes, it's true, I'm even a tight wad in the kitchen!

To ribbon the carrots, I simply peeled one then used the same potato peeler to make the pretty strips.  Isn't the dish gorgeous?  Yes, that is a picture of my dish.  All dishes and pictures of food I post here I made and plated.  I will never post a recipe I've not made myself.  Here's all  you need:

• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 -1 lb New York steak, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
• 1 thin slice of fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 pound broccoli florets
• 1 carrot peeled into ribbons
• 1 handful of snow peas

1.  In a bowl, mix together well the oyster and soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch. Add the sliced steak and coat well.  You can marinate it in the refrigerator or go straight to cooking preparation.
2. Heat veggie oil in a large skillet or wok.  When it's at medium-high heat, add in the ginger and garlic. Let them fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute, or until fragrant to flavor the oil.  Remove and discard the garlic & ginger.   Add the broccoli to the flavored oil and stir/toss until bright green and slightly tender.  This will take about 5-7 minutes.  Add the snow peas and carrot ribbons, toss and cook another 2-3minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside. 
3. Pour a little more oil into the wok, if needed.  Add the the beef.  Stir and toss it with the marinade until the sauce forms a glaze on the beef, and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Return the cooked broccoli to the pan and stir until the meat and broccoli are coated and heated through, about 3 minutes.  Plate that puppy and serve!

 Not only is this dish very tasty but it's so pretty to look at too!  I find Asian dishes are all about the fresh ingredients.  The sauces and/or spices are used sparingly but pack a punch of flavor.  This one was so easy I can't wait to see what else I can make the the rest of my oyster sauce!  I must confess I even bought a bottle of fish sauce for future experimentation.  Readers, you've been warned!


TIP:  This would be great served with or over rice!  Without rice this was a full meal for two of us.  If we added rice we could have easily stretched it to four servings.


TIP:  If you have an Asian grocery store in your community, pay it a visit!  Not only will you discover new and interesting foods and ingredients, you'll also find items you already use at much better prices!  Their quality of sauces are much better and usually less expensive.  I also find great prices on produce!   


Give this dish a try and let me know what you think!