Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls

the sauce is a key component in a beef and broccoli recipe

Have you ever noticed there never seems to be enough sauce in Asian recipes? I made sure there’s plenty to go around (and coat those noodles) in this one.

The sauce has lots of flavor, but isn’t too complicated, and, with the exception of fresh ginger, it’s stuff I always have around. One of the key flavors in the sauce comes from fortified wine. Fortified wines are wines that have a distilled spirit added to them, so their alcohol content is higher and their flavor is more concentrated. They’re used in all sorts of recipes from all around the globe, and I always have one or two types around (I use them pretty much interchangeably.)  Fortified wines can take a recipe from good to great, and they add that restaurant flair to the flavor that can sometimes be hard to achieve. They’ll keep in a cupboard for a very long time, even after opening, so stock up!

Fortified wines:

• Sherry
• Port
• Madeira
• Marsala
• Vermouth

Of course you can serve this stir fried Beef and Broccoli over rice, but I thought noodles would make a nice change. I love the texture, and Asian noodles are super easy to cook. There are tons of varieties, and honestly you can use any of them, just follow the package instructions to prepare, some don’t even need to be cooked, just soaked!

which kind of noodle is best for this recipe?

I tested this recipe twice, once with ramen noodles and again with udon noodles, and both worked well. I like the Hakubaku brand, they’re an authentic Japanese noodle company based in Australia! The noodles come in handy bundles, and lots of varieties. If you can’t find them in the Asian section of your store, you can check them out on Amazon, here. (In this case Amazon has a much better price than my grocery store!)

what kind of steak for this noodle bowl?

As you can probably tell from the blog, I don’t eat a ton of red meat, and I tend to be picky about it when I do. Top sirloin steak is the perfect cut for this dish, it slices easily, and when you cut it across the grain it becomes super tender. A pound serves 4 people, which makes it economical, and a healthy portion, too.

Strip steak is another cut of beef that will work well, too.

invest in a wok if you love to stir fry

If you want to stir fry, you have to invest in a wok, and luckily these beautiful pans aren’t expensive…but don’t be tempted by non-stick surfaces, they’ll eventually corrode. I like steel, cast iron, or hard anodized aluminum.

If you could only master one type of cooking in your life, I’d vote for stir frying…there are so many ways you can mix and match the protein and vegetables to keep in step with the seasons. I’m rediscovering them this year and we’re eating better because of it. I’d say a stir fry of some sort deserves a weekly spot on your menu ~ try my shrimp pad Thai for a completely different flavor profile.

tips for stir frying

• Keep it simple and choose just one or two vegetables to star in your stir fry, then prep them along with your meat, chicken, shrimp, or tofu and sauce the night before, or in the morning before work. 

• Put the package of meat in the freezer for an hour before cutting ~ that firms up the meat and makes it easy to get extra thin slices. I slice it before cooking, and make sure to always slice against the grain for tender beef. Remember this tip for stir fry, Philly cheese steak, steak salads, etc.

• It takes just a minute to flash cook steak when it’s cut this way. The key is to get your pan (preferably a wok) really smoking hot. I let the meat sit on one side without moving it for about a minute, then stir it around just to where there’s no more pink in the meat.