Kitchen Adventures: Beef and Broccoli

For this season of my Kitchen Adventures, I now bring you my own version of Beef and Broccoli!

The photo doesn’t look nice but this Beef and Broccoli really tastes good 😉

Judge not, peeps! Judge not the photo! I know that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to food photography. Time will come when my photos will look more appealing. For now, let’s settle with a decent-looking food photo 😉

The first time that I tasted this dish was at my parents’ house. I didn’t like it back then because I am not a fan of broccoli. The main reason why I included this dish in last week’s menu was because I wanted Louiji to be more acquainted with this veggie. I was so happy and proud that he liked it the first time he ate it at a cousin’s wedding. And so, when I have found a reasonably priced broccoli and beef at the supermarket, I thought of cooking it for my boys. I did not looked for a recipe nor asked my Dad for help (he was the one who cooked it at home). I just had a memory of what it tastes like and so that’s where I began. The following are the list of ingredients and the process by which I prepared and cooked my version of Beef and Broccoli.

Ingredients:

• ¼ kilo of beef, cut into bite-sized strips
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 pcs of calamansi
• Garlic, crushed
• Onions, minced
• Broccoli (small bundle), cut into smaller portions
• 2 tbsp butter
• A dash of pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp brown sugar*

Steps:

1. Marinate beef in soy sauce and calamansi for at least an hour.
2. Place the marinated beef with its marinade in a pot with just enough water to cover the meat. Braise it for 2 hours or until tender. You may braise the beef for less time if you will use a pressure cooker.
3. Add onions and garlic.
4. As soon as the beef is tender, remove the pot from heat.
5. Heat the wok. Add butter and saute broccoli.
6. Add in the braised beef and stir fry with the broccoli.
7. Add in ¼ cup of soy sauce** and ¼ cup of water.
8. Simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Add in brown sugar and simmer for a few more minutes.
10. Serve hot.

* I used 3 tbsp of brown sugar for this recipe because I find our broccoli a bit bitter. The result is that my dish tasted a bit like asado sauce. You may adjust the amount of sugar that you will add in depending on your taste preference.

** Again, this is about preferences. Add in the soy sauce gradually and taste what you’re cooking to adjust accordingly.

The end result? My husband was raving about my new recipe! This was a successful Kitchen Adventure! What made me happier was that our little one loved everything in it that he ate a lot. I was so glad that all of my efforts in preparing and cooking this dish paid off.

‘Til my next Kitchen Adventure! 🙂