Beef & Broccoli

This gluten free Beef & Broccoli with noodles is the definition of simply delicious.  Tender, juicy slices of beef and fresh, crunchy broccoli florets and scallions are seasoned with ginger, garlic, soy and sesame.  Cooked just long enough to keep their natural flavors and freshness.  Served atop your favorite noodles (I use Barilla gluten free Fettuccine) and drizzled with extra soy and sesame for added yumminess.  This is a well-balanced, nutritious and filling meal for any night of the week. 

The Right Cut of  Beef 

Flank steak is a great cut of meat to use for this recipe, however, in my opinion, the best cut of meat for this dish is skirt steak.  It has enough fat to remain tender, juicy and flavorful even when cooked medium to medium well.  However, it can also be cooked medium rare as well.  The one thing to keep in mind is that there are two types of skirt steak. Inside skirt steak is from the transverse abdominal muscle and tends to be rather tough and chewy. In comparison, outside skirt steak comes from the diaphragm and is much more flavorful, tender and juicy. And although I don't know a ton about the anatomy of a steer and why the muscle fibers would be so different in these areas of the animal, I have compared the cuts myself to be sure there is a difference. I absolutely can attest that you want the outside skirt steak! That is the best all around. It is also best cooked at a high heat for a brief period of time and is a wonderful sponge for marinades.

Here's a look at the inside skirt steak in the photos below. The grain shifts through the length and width of the strip of meat dramatically, making it a challenge to slice properly.

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Cutting the Outside Skirt Steak

The way beef is cut will determine just how tender the bite of steak will be.  For example, if you slice it with the grain, it will likely be chewy and may possibly be stringy.  Most cuts of red meat are sliced at a 90 degree angle to optimize tenderness and juiciness. However, it is difficult to cut skirt steak at a 90 degree angle due to the angle of the grain relative to the long and skinny strip of meat.  Therefore, if you cut it at a 45 degree angle across the grain, you will get the most out of this cut of beef.  It will be juicy, super tender and very flavorful.  The slices even look like mini marbled steaks.

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Given how wide a flank steak is, for this recipe I recommend cutting it in half parallel to the grain first.  You will likely only need one half and can wrap and save the other for another use.  Then slice the other half very thin, at a 90 degree angle to the grain.  This will result in tender and juicy cooked slices of steak.  A flank steak has less fat which makes it a little less flavorful than outside skirt steak, but it takes on seasoning very well.  This cut of meat is rarely stringy, so you don’t need to be concerned about that aspect of the cut. 

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Other Options

The first time I made a version of this recipe, I made it with pork. That's because the recipe was inspired by a wonderful friend and neighbor of ours named Angel. And that's how she makes it! I found out about it because our kids were playing together at her house one day and when they came home, they told us about the amazing pork and noodles that they ate. They couldn't stop talking about it for days! So I asked Angel for the recipe. It was so simple to make that it has been on repeat with many variations for a few years now. So you can feel confident using pork, chicken or shrimp with this recipe and it will be fantastic.  Keep the shrimp whole, but cut the pork or chicken just as you would the steak.  Cut it very thin so that it cooks quickly and absorbs the most flavor possible from the seasonings in every bite. 

Beef & Broccoli Prep

Once the beef has been sliced properly, prepare the other ingredients for cooking.  Keep the ginger slices large enough to easily identify & remove them prior to eating.  Although the ginger flavor is great and will be fantastic when absorbed by the ingredients, a large bite of it wouldn’t be so pleasant.  So you will definitely want to remove them before plating the servings! Cut the broccoli florets on the smaller side so that they cook quickly and can be eaten easily with the beef and noodles.   

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Cooking & Serving

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and begin cooking the pasta.  Set a timer for 3 minutes before the pasta should be finished cooking.  When the timer goes off, you will add the broccoli into the pot with the pasta for the final 3 minutes of cooking time.  Then drain out the water and keep it covered until you begin plating.  You can drizzle the pasta and broccoli with a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce to prevent it from sticking if it will be a few minutes before you are ready to eat. 

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While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic to the pan.  Allow them to heat up and brown a little on the edges, but don’t let them burn.  

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Then add the beef to the pan and stir it around to allow it to cook evenly and become seasoned on all sides.  When almost cooked to your liking, add the scallions and let them cook for about a minute to soften.  Add the soy sauce, stir and remove the pieces of ginger.  

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Place the pasta and broccoli in bowls for serving.  Top with the beef mixture, making sure to distribute the pan juices evenly amongst the servings.  Drizzle with extra sesame oil, soy sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for added flavor.  Then you are ready to dig it!

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More Gluten Free Weeknight Meal Ideas

• Skillet Pork Chops
• Easy Garlic Baked Shrimp
• Smothered BBQ Chicken
• Honey Ginger Stir-Fry
• Mexican Style Shredded Beef
• Veggie Tacos with Coconut Lime Slaw