Panda Garden’s Chinese beef and broccoli
We are a neighborhood rich with culinary delights — no one can say we don’t eat well here in East Dallas. However, in recent months, we’ve seen a lot of chatter from readers on social media about the lack of Asian options — specifically Chinese. Back in 2000, Panda Garden was a brand new offering on Garland Road, bringing a classic blend of Chinese and American flavors that offered a neighborhood alternative to chain restaurants.
“All meals come with an all-you-can-eat salad, soup and dessert bar,” manager Su Chen told us at the time. “And we serve a specialty called Peking potatoes — a fried potato in brown sauce that can be mixed with different kinds of meat.”
But it was a classic, Chinese beef with broccoli, that customers loved best until they closed their doors; the space now houses Ixtapa Bay Mexican cuisine. For anyone craving those big Chinese flavors, we’ve dusted off Panda Garden’s original recipe, first published in the Advocate in 2000.
Chinese beef with broccoli
Beef marinade:
1 teaspoon cooking wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
Main dish:
½ pound sirloin or tenderloin of beef
½ pound broccoli
½ cup oil
6-¾ inch green onion sections
6 thin slices of ginger
Sauce:
½ tablespoon. cooking wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Remove any fat or muscle from the beef and cut, across the grain, into 1-1/4 inch slices.
Place in marinade for 30 minutes.
Before stir-frying, add one tablespoon of oil and toss slightly to prevent sticking.
Heat the pan and add ½-cup oil.
When medium hot (275° F), add the beef and stir to keep slices from sticking together.
Stir-fry for about 20 seconds until the meat changes color.
Remove and drain.
Leave three tablespoons of oil in the pan and heat until very hot.
Add the green onion and ginger, stir-frying until fragrant.
Add broccoli and stir-fry for another 20 seconds.
Add the sauce, beef mixture and toss slightly.
Remove to serving plate. Serve hot.
