Community Cookbook: Make a beef and broccoli bowl with Kristi Meyr from New Wells

Kristi Meyr, born and raised in Jackson, moved to New Wells after marrying Brad Meyr in 2000. The couple, along with their four children, live on the family cattle farm in a home built by Brad’s great-grandfather, August Meyr, in 1908. Throughout the past 25 years, the Meyrs have updated the home to fit their family’s lifestyle, including the need for openness and space. They remodeled the kitchen, where Kristi spends much of her time, in 2020.

“A lot happens in the kitchen,” Kristi says. “Cleaning up, cooking, unloading the dishwasher, eating breakfast. We tore down the wall and opened up the space, so we can congregate more together.”

Kristi, who says she doesn’t have many food memories from her childhood, thinks it’s important to sit down as a family and have a meal together as much as they can. With two kids out of the house and two active in sports, they stay busy. But when they do share a meal, it’s at the kitchen table, and no phones are allowed. They pray together, talk and catch up on their day. It’s how they stay connected.

With living on a cattle farm, Kristi says much of their food is centered around beef.

“I like easy recipes and try to use what we have,” Kristi says. “We have a lot of beef. A few years ago, I needed to find a recipe to use up some of our round steak, and I found this beef and broccoli bowl from Natasha’s Kitchen. I had never made that kind of thing before.”

Natasha’s Kitchen is an online food blog that provides step-by-step photos and videos for recipes. Kristi says she often looks at the site when she gets in a cooking rut, needs some variety or wants to try something new. She also gets recipe ideas from her coworkers at Saint Francis Healthcare System where she works full-time as a nurse.

But even with a full-time work schedule, Kristi cooks at home at least three meals per week. Living out of town, she makes a point to plan the menu in advance, so she can grab her groceries all at once, avoid- ing last-minute trips to the store. Kristi says the beef and broccoli bowl is on her family’s regular rotation and is often requested by her kids.

“They love the sauce, so I usually quadruple that part of the recipe,” Kristi says. “And I like it, because I can make the sauce ahead of time or prep it early and let it sit. You can also use the meat you have. It calls for flank steak, but I used round.”

Throughout the years, the volume of food Kristi prepares for each meal has fluctuated. As a newlywed learning to cook for two, Kristi says she often called her mom, Nancy Monier, for help in the kitchen. As Kristi’s kids grew, so did their appetites. When all four of them were living at home, she always made extra amounts of food. But now, with just two children at home, the volume has gone down once again. Being raised to not waste food, Kristi says she is glad her husband is great at eating leftovers.

The beef and broccoli bowl takes less than 30 minutes to make, and because the kids give it a great rat- ing, Kristi says she will keep it around. But what she really wants to learn is how to make a traditional German coffee cake, a family recipe that she remembers eating at aunts’ houses and church gatherings. Her godmother, Glenda Nation, has given her one lesson, but she’s hoping to have more.

“I love coffee cakes and want to keep the tradition alive,” Kristi says.

Beef and Broccoli Bowl

Recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak, very thinly sliced into bite-sized strips 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound broccoli, cut into 6 cups of florets

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional garnish

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (loosely packed)

2 teaspoons garlic, grated (from 3 cloves)

1/2 cup hot water

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Instructions

Prep: Start cooking white rice first, so it's ready when the stir fry is done. Cover and freeze steak for 30 minutes for easier slicing. Combine all stir fry sauce ingredients in a bowl, stir well to dissolve the sugar, and set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 1 table- spoon oil. Add broccoli florets and sauté 4 to 5 minutes, partially covered with lid, stirring or tossing several times until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender, then remove from pan. (Tip: If you prefer softer broccoli, add 2 tablespoons water be- fore covering with the lid, and it will steam cook the broccoli.) Increase heat to high heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add beef in a single layer and sauté 2 minutes per side or just until cooked through. Quickly pull out a piece to test for doneness.

Add the sauce, reduce heat to medium/low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. It will thicken. Add broccoli, and stir to combine. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin the sauce if desired. Serve over white rice.