Spicy Beef and Broccoli

Those Chick-fil-A cows would really like it at my house we “eat mor chikin” than anything else. I don’t fool with beef too much because it’s a little too temperamental to be such a hearty protein. If you cook it too fast or too long, it turns all chewy.

The only techniques I’ve found to produce tender, palatable textures from beef are:

1. Buying the expensive cuts for about $12 to $19 a pound
2. Eating it rare, medium rare or medium well, because as soon as it’s well done, it becomes too dry and chewy.
3. Cooking it slowly enough(stewing, roasting, braising)to break down the membranes that make it tough.

But occasionally my appetite starts chanting “Where’s the beef? Can I get a steak? I’m Iron deficient!” So I wander over to the reddest section of the farmer’s market just below the huge diagram of a cow that has all the cuts and body parts clearly labeled. Then, I make a decision about which of the richly hued pieces I’d like to take home.

Recently, I picked out some beef strips – the cuts that are best for stir frying or fajitas. I decided I’d do a spicy beef and broccoli stir fry meal.

Ingredients
1lb Beef Strips
2 Heads of Broccoli
Medium Onion
Mushrooms (optional)
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Beef Broth (water will do also just be sure to taste as you go and season well)

1. Season beef with salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes, let it rest until it’s room temperature
2. Heat a skillet and toss onions and beef in to cook, once the meat browns, toss in mushrooms and liquid (either broth or water) and turn down to a simmer.
3. In about 20 minutes it will be tender, keep tasting/seasoning until the flavor is right.
4. Serve with rice.