Beef and broccoli is a classic Chinese dish, known for its perfect flavor pairing. We gave this favorite a Paleo twist with a spicy glaze made with figs and cacao.
This recipe is a great way to eat your broccoli—a nutritional powerhouse packed with vitamins and nutrients that can support heart health. Specifically, it helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure, and promote overall cardiovascular well-being. [1] In addition, broccoli can also reduce inflammation and has antimicrobial properties.
To make the glaze for this beef and broccoli recipe, we simmered dried, whole chile peppers to give it a kick. Just be sure that the sauce doesn’t get to a boil and always stays at a simmer. It’s set to simmer for 30 minutes, but if you want a little extra spice, let it cook for another 15-20 minutes.
TIPS:
- If you have dried figs already in your pantry, steep them in water for 90 minutes before using in the recipe.
- Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) omissions and substitutions are listed in the recipe ingredients.
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References:
- Syed, R. U., Moni, S. S., Khaled, M., Khojali, W. M. A., Jafar, M., Alshammari, M. D., Abdelsalam, K., Taymour, S., Alreshidi, K., Elhassan, M., & Mohan, S. (2023). Broccoli: A multi-faceted vegetable for health: An in-depth review of its nutritional attributes, antimicrobial abilities, and anti-inflammatory properties. Antibiotics, 12(7), 1157–1157. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12071157
Roasted Beef and Broccoli with Spicy Fig-Cacao Glaze
- Recipe by: Griffin McMath, ND
- Serves: 4
- Meal: Dinner
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb flank steak
1 tsp baking soda
1 cups water, divided
1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 lb broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets with up to 1” stems
1/2 lb fresh figs, de-stemmed and cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 whole dried chile peppers (AIP – omit or sub)
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
3/4 cups no-sodium organic beef stock
1 tbsp pure cacao powder
1 tsp cracked black pepper (AIP – omit or sub)
5 tsp diced walnuts, slightly toasted (AIP – omit or sub)
Cauliflower rice (optional)
Directions
Place steak in freezer for 30 minutes or until firm. Then, slice into strips ¼-inch thick and 2-inches long against grain.
In a medium bowl, add steak strips and baking soda and enough water to help coat the strips with the baking soda (about ½ cup). Mix with hands and put in fridge for 2 hours to tenderize.
One hour before removing meat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onion and caramelize slowly for one hour.
While onions cook, sauté broccoli florets in a medium saucepan on medium-high until no longer firm, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the fig-cacao glaze by adding figs, garlic, chiles, arrowroot starch, ½ cup water, and beef stock to a separate, large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour fig mixture into blender, add cacao, black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and blend until smooth.
Remove steak from fridge and rinse thoroughly.
Place strips into that same large, saucepan and cook for 4 minutes.
Add caramelized onions, broccoli, and walnuts that were set aside into the large saucepan and cook for another 2 minutes.
Turn off heat. Pour sauce over beef and broccoli mixture and stir to thoroughly coat.
Serve over riced cauliflower.
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