P.F. Chang's Beef with Broccoli
P.F. Chang's Beef with Broccoli uses their signature Mongolian sauce, an alkaline soy marinade, and egg white velveting with potato starch. The beef is par-fried in 350°F oil before a 2-minute finishing stir-fry with blanched broccoli, ginger, scallions, and a cornstarch slurry. This reverse-engineered recipe covers the exact restaurant process adapted for a home kitchen.
Servings 2 servings
Calories 450kcal
Equipment
- 1 Made-In Carbon Steel Wok For passing beef through the oil
- 1 14-inch Mandarin Wok For the final stir-fry
- 1 Wok Spider/Strainer For removing beef from oil
- 1 Wire Cooling Rack For draining fried beef
- 1 Whisk For making the sauces
- 1 Colander For draining broccoli
- 1 Salad Spinner For drying broccoli after blanching
- 1 Infrared Thermometer For checking oil temperature
Ingredients
The Dark Sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp Minor's Original Chicken Base Minor's Original Chicken Base or Knorr/Lee Kum Kee Asian chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 6 tbsp soy sauce Lee Kum Kee Low Sodium (green bottle) or Kikkoman
- 1 tbsp mushroom dark soy sauce Lee Kum Kee
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand (green bottle) or Premium
- 2 tbsp cooking michiu or Shaoxing cooking wine
The Mongolian Sauce
- 1 batch dark sauce approximately 260 ml (see above)
- 5 tbsp sugar
The Alkaline Soy Marinade
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce Lee Kum Kee Low Sodium (green bottle) or Kikkoman
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
The Flank Steak
- 9 oz flank steak sliced against the grain into ⅛-inch pieces
Egg White Velveting
- 1/2 egg white
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 tsp vegetable oil or any neutral oil
The Broccoli
- 8 oz broccoli florets
Final Stir-Fry
- 1 tsp vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tsp dehydrated minced garlic reconstituted in warm water for 20-30 minutes, drained
- 2 tsp ginger fresh, minced
- 1 tbsp scallions sliced thin
- 5 tbsp Mongolian sauce see above
- 1 tsp cornstarch mix with 2 tsp water into slurry before adding
- 2 tsp water for cornstarch slurry
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil added after heat is off
Instructions
Make the Dark Sauce
- Add ¼ cup of water to a small pot with ½ tsp of Minor's Original Chicken Base and ¼ cup of sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and whisk until the sugar and chicken base are dissolved.
- Remove from heat. Add 6 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of mushroom dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, and 2 tbsp of cooking michiu. Whisk until incorporated. The dark sauce stores covered in the fridge for up to a month.
Make the Mongolian Sauce
- Pour the dark sauce into a small pot and bring to a light simmer. Add 5 tbsp of white sugar and whisk until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool before using. The Mongolian sauce also stores covered in the fridge for up to a month.
Brine the Beef
- Slice a 9 oz flank steak with the grain into 1.5-inch sections. Turn each section perpendicular and slice against the grain at a 30-40 degree angle into pieces about ⅛ inch thick. If the steak is hard to slice, freeze it for 20-30 minutes to firm it up.
- Combine 1 cup of water with ½ tsp of baking soda and stir until dissolved. Add ⅓ cup of soy sauce.
- Submerge the sliced beef in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours for the best results. Longer marination times improve both tenderness and flavor.
Velvet the Beef
- Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Drying the surface helps the velveting adhere.
- Add ½ egg white and ⅛ tsp of white pepper. Mix until all the pieces are evenly coated. Add 1 tbsp of potato starch and massage it into the beef until all slices are covered. Stir in 1 tsp of neutral oil to finish.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Pass the Beef Through the Oil
- Heat several inches of neutral frying oil to 350°F.
- Working in batches, add the velveted beef and immediately agitate so the slices don't clump together. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the edges have browned.
- Remove the beef to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and drain. Set aside.
Blanch the Broccoli
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 8 oz of broccoli florets and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender but still slightly crunchy.
- Shock in a bowl of ice water for about 1 minute to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly using a salad spinner or towels. Getting the water out is important because wet broccoli will thin out the sauce.
Final Stir-Fry
- Have everything measured and within reach before starting. This step takes about 2 minutes.
- Heat 1 tsp of neutral oil in a wok over medium to medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of reconstituted garlic, 2 tsp of minced ginger, and 1 tbsp of sliced scallions. Cook for 10-20 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in 5 tbsp of the Mongolian sauce and bring to a light simmer. Add the fried beef and toss in the sauce.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water) and drizzle it over the beef. Stir until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Add the blanched broccoli and toss everything together.
- Kill the heat and drizzle in 1 tsp of toasted sesame oil. Toss to distribute and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Dehydrated Garlic: P.F. Chang's uses dehydrated, minced garlic for most of their stir-fry dishes. Find it on the spice aisle. Cover the amount needed with warm water for 20-30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the excess liquid. Reconstituted garlic handles high wok heat without burning the way fresh garlic does. You can prepare it a few days in advance and store it in the fridge.
Soy Sauce: P.F. Chang's currently uses Lee Kum Kee Low Sodium Soy Sauce (green bottle) for both the marinade and the dark sauce. They previously used Kikkoman, and either brand works for this recipe.
Oyster Sauce: P.F. Chang's uses Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce (green bottle). Lee Kum Kee's Premium Oyster Sauce is a higher-quality option if you can find it.
Rice Wine: Michiu rice cooking wine is what P.F. Chang's uses. Shaoxing cooking wine is a widely available substitute that works in this recipe.
Marinating Time: The alkaline soy marinade requires at least 2 hours. P.F. Chang's brines their protein for a full 24 hours. Longer marination times improve both tenderness and flavor. Refrigerate the entire time.
Alternative Cuts: If flank steak is unavailable or too expensive, hanger steak, skirt steak, flap meat, and chuck all work as substitutes. Any long-grained cut sliced thinly against the grain works well for stir-fry dishes. Give the substitute cut the full alkaline soy marinade treatment.
Potato Starch vs. Cornstarch: Potato starch is what P.F. Chang's uses for velveting. Cornstarch works as a substitute and performs similarly in this application.
Storing the Sauces: Both the dark sauce and Mongolian sauce store covered in the refrigerator for up to one month. Making a batch of dark sauce ahead of time gives you a head start on other P.F. Chang's recipes.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal