Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ Tablespoons cornstarch
½ Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, pressed
¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, combine above ingredients with a whisk. Set aside. Do not double; it will be too strong.

1 lb Tri-tip meat, sliced into ¼” thick slices
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 medium heads of broccoli, rinsed, patted dry and florets only used (discard stems)

Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable or olive oil in a large stir-fry style skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until almost cooked thru (there is some “carry-over time” that the beef still cooks while off the heat and it is added back into the heat at the end, so take care not to overcook the meat or it will be tough); about 8 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Heat 1 more Tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and stir-fry for about 3 minutes to caramelize. Add broccoli florets to skillet with the onion still in skillet. Add ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes (depending on how crunchy you like your broccoli).

Return beef to skillet and add soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes (the sauce will thicken quickly because of the cornstarch!). Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles.