The joys of stir-fried beef and broccoli enhanced with a jolt of dark, saline-sweet oyster sauce can’t be overstated. Whether the vegetable is the standard variety or the Chinese type, gai lan, the trio comes together seamlessly, producing a savory, mineral-y synergy that belies its simplicity.
Like many such long-standing favorites, beef and broccoli is thought to have originated in the mid-1800s when Chinese workers migrated from the Pearl River Delta to coastal California. We don’t know precisely when the dish emerged or exactly what form it took—documentation of the food these workers prepared is virtually nonexistent—but it presumably followed the trajectory of similar staples: Nascent recipes catered to Chinese tastes but shifted toward the Western palate over time. To wit: A once vegetable-forward stir-fry of gai lan, beef, and oyster sauce has morphed into something that’s heavy on beef; features broccoli florets instead of gai lan; may include carrot, bell pepper, or onion; and is napped with a savory-sweet sauce.
But the form all
