How to Make Crock-Pot Beef and Broccolini Bowls

Danielle Oron

Danielle Oron is the force behind popular recipe blog I Will Not Eat Oysters and a former Yahoo Food Blogger of the Week. She’s also the chef and owner of Moo Milk Bar in Toronto, and, most recently, author of the cookbook Modern Israeli Cooking.

image

All photos by Danielle Oron

By Danielle Oron of I Will Not Eat Oysters

Pull out that Crock-Pot! It’s time for some homemade “take-out” that basically cooks itself. Tender, pull-apart, sweet, tangy, saucy beef will be waiting for you at home the minute you walk in the door.

This recipe is a take on my favorite Chinese take-out meal, beef with broccoli. I use broccolini because it’s the closest thing to Chinese broccoli you can find at any grocery store. (It’s actually a cross between basic broccoli and that leafy, kale-like Chinese broccoli.) Of course, the regular kind works wonderfully, too.

Crock-Pot Beef and Broccolini Bowls
Serves 6

For the beef:
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, minced finely
5 scallions, minced finely
2-inch knob of ginger, grated
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups beef broth
½ cup hoisin sauce

For accompaniments:
2 bunches broccolini
12 scallions
Grape seed or canola oil, to taste
Salt, to taste
Fresh black pepper
6 cups cooked white rice
Sesame seeds, to garnish

image

Make the beef: Combine the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of fresh pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour. Transfer the beef to the Crock-Pot or slow cooker. Whisk together the garlic, scallions, ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, beef broth, and hoisin sauce and pour the mixture over the beef. Turn the heat to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Make the broccolini: Steam the broccolini until just tender. Alternatively, 20 minutes before the beef has finished cooking, lay the bunches on top of the beef in the Crock-Pot. Continue cooking on low for 20 minutes, until the broccolini is tender. Both are great methods. (Photos show steamed.)

Make the scallions: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss the scallions in a bit of grape seed or canola oil and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Grill the scallions for 3 minutes on each side.

Build the bowls: Place a nice heap of rice at the bottom of each bowl, top with lots of saucy beef, broccolini, and grilled scallions. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!

More Chinese-inspired dishes to love:

Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Wings Recipe From ‘Woks of Life’

Skip the Takeout: Make Restaurant-Quality Chinese Noodles in Just 15 Minutes

Spicy Green Beans, Szechuan-Style