Mongolian Beef

I was cleaning up the Main Courses – Meat index page yesterday and realized I had prepared, photographed and edited the photo of Mongolian Beef, but somehow never posted about it. I got this from Pinterest (originally posted by Just a Taste), and it is supposed to be a knock off of a recipe from a nice Asian restaurant chain that I have never been to. I don’t know how close it is to the original, but I can tell you it is delicious.

It is similar to the Asparagus Beef recipe, without the asparagus, of course. You could definitely throw some precooked vegetables in with the sauce, or serve them on the side like I did. Lil Man would have revolted if I had combined them with the meat.

The coating with cornstarch does two things: keeps the meat moist and thickens the sauce.  I have since used this cornstarch technique on chicken and pork as well as beef and even used a store bought sauce with great results. I admit I normally use about 1/4 cup of oil or less in the pan and sauté the meat more than frying it as the recipe below does. To each his/her own.

From start to finish the recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare which makes it perfect for busy weeknights.

Mongolian Beef

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Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	25 minutes
Dietary	Gluten Free
Meal type	Beef, Meat Dishes
Region	Chinese
Website	Just a Taste

A quick Asian beef stir fry that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes. Serve with rice or noodles.

Ingredients

• 1lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
• 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cups brown sugar
• 3 cups scallions (green parts only, cut in 1 inch pieces)
• cup sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

Slice steak against the grain in 1/4 inch thin strips then 1-2 inches long. Coat with cornstarch and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small saucepot over medium-low heat and add the ginger and garlic. Sauté about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, water and brown sugar. Increase the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add 1/2 cup oil to a wok or large skillet (preferably cast iron) and turn heat to medium high. Once oil is hot add beef and cook until seared (dark brown) on all sides - about 2 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain. Pour off any excess oil.

Add beef and sauce back to the wok and bring to a boil, stirring gently, for 2 minutes. Mix in scallion tops. Serve with rice or noodles. Top with sesame seeds if desired.

Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey