Chinese · main

Beef and Broccoli (芥兰牛肉)

Name: Beef and Broccoli (芥兰牛肉)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced; 4 cups broccoli florets; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ginger, minced; 3 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Beef and Broccoli (芥兰牛肉) reads umami 7.6, salinity 5.7 and richness 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese main, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.7 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.6 · Salinity 5.7 · Richness 4.5 · Allium 4.0 · Sweetness 3.7 · Funk & Ferment 3.5 · Nutty 3.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.4 · Sourness 1.2 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 1.0

What's in it (13)

1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced
4 cups broccoli florets
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Time & effort: about 30 min (25 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 92.8 kcal, 7.6 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 5.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Slice beef thin against the grain and velvet in baking soda, cornstarch, and wine.
Blanch broccoli briefly, then stir-fry beef in a screaming-hot wok until just cooked and remove.
Fry garlic and ginger, return beef and broccoli, add the oyster sauce mixture, and toss to coat.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Bok Choy — Chinese-American
Skillet Beef and Broccoli — Chinese-American
Garlic Ginger Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Tofu — Chinese-American
Hunanese Chicken with Fresh Green Chillies (Xiang La Ji) — Chinese · Hunan
Beef and Broccoli, Yaki Style — Japanese

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.