Alright so yesterday was grocery day - and our budget was VERY low this week due to some unforseen expenses and the fact DH is making about 200 less a week during the summer months. Thats one big problem with working for commission - when the business goes down (Aka schools out for the summer and they are DH's biggest buyers) so does the pay. I decided next week I would focus on a week of ramen inspired meals - cant beat the price on ramen as many college students know. Well while I was there - I found a few cheap cuts of meat however they were nearing the end of the shelf life. (still had 3 days to go but wasnt going to risk it!) So instead of what I planned for dinner tonight I decided to whip together a cheap and easy beef and broccoli.
- 3/4 pound lean beef (I used 4 small steaks that are used for sandwiches ala steakums in solid form)
- Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I didnt have rice vinegar so I used red wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- Thickener:
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 pound fresh broccoli (I actually used frozen broccoli that I had stashed in the freezer)
- 2 garlic cloves
- To Cook Broccoli:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
- Other:
- 1 1/4 cups oil, or as needed
2 packages of ramen noodles the seasoning packages removed
Preparation:
Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices. Add the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last (use your fingers to rub it in). Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.
While the beef is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together the oyster sauce, soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thickener and set aside.
Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the flowerets into 3 or 4 pieces. (Or use a package of frozen broccoli - like the ready to steam bags you can pop in the microwave - just take off a minute of cook time) Crush the garlic.
Heat the wok and add 1 cup oil. When the oil is medium-hot (between 300 and 325 degrees F.), add the beef. Blanch the beef by letting it lay flat for 30 - 40 seconds, and then stirring to separate the pieces. Remove the beef when it changes color and is nearly cooked (the entire process takes 1 - 2 minutes).
Remove the beef from the wok and drain on paper towels.
Clean out the wok with paper towels.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and
stir fry briefly until aromatic.
Add the broccoli, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 4 - 5 minutes, until it turns a bright green and is tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain. (if you go the microwave route you dont need to add water to cook the broccoli)
Clean out the wok and add 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the broccoli and the beef. Add the sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over cooked ramen.
Variations: *Add carrots and onion if desired. Boil in the wok with the broccoli (you'll need to add more water). I think it would be tasty to add some bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and or bean sprouts as well, but as money is tight all we had was the beef and broccoli.
It was actually VERY tasty although I doubled the sauce since we like a lot of sauce with our meat. Even my son who can be picky at times loved it. I can see many variations to this simple and cheap dish. Even adding some infused pepper oil or chopping up some jalepenos to add some spice. I was very pleased with the outcome and even more so since the entire meal cost about $6.00 for 4 servings. Most of the ingrediants I already had stashed in the cupboard.
