Jen's Beef and Broccoli Surprise

My freezer is stocked with a ton of round steak that I bought on sale a couple of months ago. Round steak is not something I usually cook with, but I decided to try it out. Honestly, I was sick of opening my chest freezer and seeing it in there (it was starting to mock me). Anyway, I had a hankerin' for Asian-style Beef with Broccoli. The only problem was that I am running low on, well...everything. Seriously, from staple items to fresh foods, my stores are low. Real low. Also, I needed easy. Real easy. I wanted to give the husband a cooking break, but I am not up for anything elaborate. So, I started sniffing around my pantry and fridge and formulated this dinner. I must say, it turned out yummy (but more on that later in my results). This dinner was not traditional Beef with Broccoli, but it certainly fulfilled my craving and was something that everyone at my table really liked.

Jen's Beef and Broccoli Surprise

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of sesame oil
1 lb. of beef round steak (or your choice of meat), cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of orange juice
2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar
1/2 cup of beef broth
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of Sambal Oeleck chili paste
1 Tablespoon of flour
1 Tablespoon of butter
Sesame seeds for garnish
steamed broccoli (I cook mine separately, from frozen, in the microwave)
white rice of your choice (We used instant white rice...don't judge)

Directions:
In a 8 x 8 glass casserole dish, place beef strips and top with sesame oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger, and dry mustard. Mix with tongs or hands until beef is well coated with spices and oil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, orange juice, rice vinegar, beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and Sambal Oeleck. Whisk until mixed, and pour over beef in the casserole dish.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.

When cook time is complete, remove from oven. Remove beef to a plate and set aside. (There should be quite a bit of liquid left in the casserole dish.)

In a small sauce pan, melt butter on the stove top. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour to make a paste and cook for 1 minute. Add liquid from casserole dish, and bring to a simmer while whisking. Once sauce is thickened to proper consistency, remove from heat and add the beef back into the pan.

Plate by topping rice and broccoli with meat and sauce, then garnish with sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Jen's Notes:
All measurements are approximate.



The Result:
Yum! This was really good and something that I will make again. We all enjoyed it and it was fairly easy. Hooray for surprise concoctions that work out well!