Air Frying Class

Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

Beef and broccoli is about as classic a combination for most Americans as peanut butter and jelly. While the dish is believed to have originated from the Chinese dish “gai lan chao niu rou” (芥兰炒牛肉), or “Chinese broccoli fried beef,” beef and broccoli as we know it came about because early Chinese immigrants couldn’t find Chinese broccoli. Instead, they went with the American cultivar, with its large flowering crowns.Though the traditional cooking process for beef and broccoli is fast by design, we wanted to offer a one-pan alternative for the air-fryer. Traditionally, beef and broccoli is prepared in a wok over a high-powered gas burner, which imparts the distinctive notes of char and smoke that characterize good Cantonese-style stir-fries (commonly known as wok hei). But because of the air fryer’s high temperature and convection capabilities, we can still produce a light char on the food, and we can further reinforce that char with a final broiling step. But the key to executing this dish is still speed, since we don’t want the broccoli to overcook and turn mushy.As when cooking with a wok, it helps to slice the vegetables and beef to relatively the same size, which ensures an even cooking rate. While the food cooks, we make a simple pan sauce that comes together in minutes, and thicken it with cornstarch for that classic, silky texture that’s the hallmark of a good beef and broccoli from your favorite takeout spot.

Air-Fried Beef and Broccoli