Beef and Broccoli

Method

1. marinate15 min
   the velvet: soda + 1 tbsp soy + 2 tsp cornstarch
   the sliced beef massaged with baking soda first, then soy and cornstarch — the soda raises the meat's surface pH and keeps the proteins from seizing tight, which is the actual mechanism behind takeout beef's improbable silkiness; fifteen minutes, no longer, or the texture goes spongy
2. blanch2 min
   broccoli 90 seconds, drained hard
   the florets to bright green — pre-cooked so the wok phase stays under two minutes; broccoli cooked entirely in the stir-fry either burns outside or crunches raw inside, and the blanch dissolves the dilemma
3. mix2 min
   sauce staged: oyster + soy + sugar + stock + cornstarch
   stirred and standing by — the takeout brown sauce in one cup, waiting for its thirty seconds
4. sear4 min
   highest heat, beef in one layer, unmoved then tossed
   the velveted beef in half the oil, spread, left 45 seconds, tossed until just cooked — out to a plate; the color it takes here is all the browning the dish gets
5. glaze3 min
   aromatics 30 seconds, sauce in, everything back
   garlic + ginger in the remaining oil until fragrant, the sauce poured in and thickening on contact, beef + broccoli tossed through until every piece gleams — sesame oil off the heat, and straight to the rice before the glaze tightens