Fun fact: There is no Chinese takeout in Malibu. There’s barely even any takeout, period. Postmates? Nope. Grubhub? Doordash? Freakin’ Instacart?!
…Nothing.
On the plus side, the absence of Postmates is saving me a boatload of money (my habit of ordering Sugarfish delivery whenever Kendrick had the kids was giving my financial planner palpitations). On the negative side, it means I cannot get Chinese takeout, and this is not an acceptable way to live.
Now, to be clear: My son (the true Chinese food connoisseur in the family) would like you to know that this does not taste like Chinese takeout. I think it does, though, and so he and I are just going to have to agree to disagree. Throw some soy sauce on there and some Bachelor on the TV, and I am a happy, Chinese-food-eating little clam. (More Chinese recipe suggestions are super welcome! I would especially love to find a great one for lo mein.)
This recipe is a mashup of several different Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli recipes I found on my Internet searches, including Simply Happy Foodie, Barefeet In The Kitchen, and Pressure Cook Recipes.
What You Need:
- 2 lbs chuck roast, sliced in 1/4″ strips against the grain
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup soy sauce + 2tbsp soy sauce, divided
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets and steamed (you can do this in the Instant Pot too, but I find it easier to just steam broccoli separately)
- Canola oil
What You Do:
- Bring sliced meat to room temperature in a large bowl. Pour over 2 tbsp soy sauce, minced ginger, and minced garlic (I love garlic, so I added a couple of shakes of garlic powder at this point, too). Season with salt and pepper, then toss generously to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- While the meat rests, prepare your sauce by combining 1/2 cup soy sauce, the beef broth, the brown sugar, and the sesame oil in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Turn the Instant Pot’s saute option on, and let heat for a couple of minutes. Add a generous splash of canola oil, and let heat until shimmering. Add 1/2 the sliced beef. Without stirring, let the beef cook for 2 minutes, then flip all slices and let cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove the first batch and repeat with the second batch.
- When the second batch is done cooking, return the first batch to the pot and add the onions. Pour the sauce over, and mix to combine.
- Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure, and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Allow to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
- Prepare a cornstarch slurry by whisking 2 tbsp water into your cornstarch. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting, and add cornstarch slurry to beef and sauce mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes, or until thickened (it will continue to thicken after you’re done cooking).
Toss with broccoli, maybe garnish with some green onions and sesame seeds, and serve over rice.
