Beef and broccoli: how do you make the beef tender?

"Beef and Broccoli"

If your beef and broccoli tastes homemade, the pan is probably the problem, not the recipe. I run a food business in Calgary and I make this dish a lot, and the fix starts before anything hits the heat.

Velvet the beef first. Toss the strips with cornstarch, soy sauce, a little oil, and a pinch of baking soda, then let the bowl rest for twenty minutes. That coating is what keeps the beef tender and gives it the silky bite you get from a good takeout spot.

Then sear it hot and fast in small batches, and sauce everything together at the end. Do not crowd the pan to save time. A crowded pan drops the heat, the beef steams instead of searing, and steamed beef is exactly that homemade taste people are trying to get away from.

Asked on r/Cooking

Watch the 30-second version: