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Monday, January 19, 2009

Mongolian Beef

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mongolian1

This is one of Andrew's favourite dish to have at any Asian restaurant. I have  made it for him in a couple of different ways, but the goal was to be as close to a restaurant meal as possible. It's a nice way to treat yourself or someone you love without shrinking your wallet's contents (or having to face any ugly winter weather outside).

I use only one wok to make this version of Mongolian beef, good news if don't really love cleaning up pots (who does anyway?). The thickness of the sauce is up to your liking, the longest you cook it for, the thicker it will get. Thinning it out with water is also an option. I tried this dish with flank steaks, sliced crosswise and also with pre-cut stir-fry meat which is cheaper. According to Andrew (the tester, taster and Mongolian Beef expert), the flank steak is a better choice. Still on Andrew's expert opinion of the dish... I add  half of a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to it and it gets a "2 stars"  in spiciness.

 

Mongolian Beef Recipe:

makes 2 servings

You will need:

 

1 lb of flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup of cornstarch

3 teaspoons of canola oil

1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger (about 1/2 inch piece)

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (about 2 -3 large cloves)

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

3 large green onions, sliced crosswise into thirds

 

 

Prepare the meat:

First, make sure the steak slices are dry (pat them dry) and mix them with the corn starch. Using your hands or a spoon, move them around to make sure all pieces are coated. Place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch (see picture bellow).

Make the sauce:

Heat half of the oil in a large wok at medium-high and add the garlic and ginger. Immediately add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't look thick enough at this point. The corn starch in the beef will thicken it up later. 

Cook the meat and assemble dish:

Turn the heat up and add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing). Pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. Now you can choose to cook it down and reduce the sauce or leave it thinner. Add the green onions on the last minute so the green parts will stay green and the white parts crunchy.

Serve it hot with rice.

 

mongolian prep Use a strainer to help shake off excess corn starch from beef. They should be lightly coated, not over coated with corn starch.
   

 

monolian 2

121 comments:

Kana said...

That looks good!

Blake said...

Now I'm craving Chinese food. Looks amazing!

Lori said...

Love this! So simple. Your recipes are filling up my weekly menu a lot lately. :)

Rita said...

Maya - thanks so much

Blake - This is quick and easy, you can make it anytime you crave it!

Lori - I am so happy that you are enjoying the recipes. Keep enjoying Brazil!

Finla said...

Wow this looks so yumm.
How long did you cook the beef.
From the size if you thin strips i guess it didn't take that long.

Lori said...

You have a lot of great food on your site. And great pictures! I am drooling here!

Rita said...

Happy Cook - I only cook until I see they are browned (no visible reds). You are right, it doesn't take long, I'd say a couple of minutes, stirring.

Lori - Thanks, your words are always very kind!

Anonymous said...

Just made it! It was Delicious, next time I will cut back just a little on the brown sugar, but I really enjoyed it, quick and easy...than you

Rita said...

Misona - I am so happy you liked it! I was told (by Andrew) that yes, it is a bit on the sweet side, but that it is how it is supposed to be...

test it comm said...

That beef looks tasty!

.:::Tea:::. said...

Just made this I didn't use exact measurements I never do! but it was delish and so quick to make!

Viki said...

Made this using cube steak-delicious!!!

Rita said...

Thanks Kevin

Orchestral Tear Cash Flow - I am glad you liked it!

Viki - I bet it tasted great as well.

Anonymous said...

I got this third hand and wanted to let you know that it was excellent. I also cooked red, green and yellow peppers with onions, snow peas and mushrooms. Served it on the side. A definite keeper.

Your instructions were clear and really helped. Thanks!

I'm adding your site to my favorites!

Rita said...

Anonymous - I am glad you enjoyed it!

Unknown said...

Just made this for my family for the second time in less than 2 weeks. Repeat recipes are rare around here, so it's definitely a good one!

Thank you!

Rita said...

tallmisto - good for you! It's always great to find a keeper, no?

Shawnda said...

This was delicious - thanks for sharing the recipe!

Ashley said...

This looks gorgeous! Yum!

Kanella said...

I made this last night and "fought" with my husband over the leftovers - it was excellent. Thank you so very much for sharing the recipe!

Anonymous said...

I'm Anonymous from 30/3/09 11:17 PM. My dad loved this, too! I'm cooking it for my brother who is coming to visit for 9 days. Bet he takes the recipe back!!!!

Haley C. said...

We just finished gobbling up this easy and delicious meal. This recipe is definitely going on our regular rotation list!

carmenb said...

The best Mongolian Beef I ever had! It was excellent, and easy to make.

Kath said...

That looks, really, really, good! Pinned it.

Aimee said...

Yum! Just eating now. Super delicious.

Heather said...

i don't have a wok...will a skillet work too?

Rita said...

@Heather - yes, a large skillet can work too, as long as it's not too crowded and the food had room to move around. If necessary, make it in small batches.

Jen said...

This was so good! My family loved it!

Sara said...

This looks so tasty! I definitely need to try this, yum!! :)

Patrice said...

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it tonight. SOOOOO good. Thank you so much!

Miranda said...

This was totally amazing!! We made it tonight after finding it on Pinterest too :) I threw in some steamed broccoli in the last few minutes of cooking and it was delicious!

Unknown said...

Another Pinterest fan here. Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe. Tonight was my second night this week to make it. Yeah, I'm in love.

Mrs.Andreazza said...

This was amazing!!!!

Nicole at Mommy Moxie said...

I too found this recipe on Pinterest, made it for dinner tonight and it was great! I agree with another one of the comments, cutting back on the brown sugar would take this from great to amazing. Thanks so much for posting!

Anonymous said...

Found you on Pinterest! Trying this tonight, thanks!

JStacie said...

Thanks for the recipe! Found on Pinterest last week, and I tried it tonight. I went light on the soy, ginger, and pepper for my non-adventurous family and it was a hit for all but one. Guess she will get flank with no sauce, but I am definitely making this again.

Julie said...

Wow, I found this on Pinterest and I made it today! It was OUTSTANDING and very easy! Thanks for the recipe!

Rachel said...

Found this on Pinterest...it was DELICIOUS!

Anonymous said...

Just made this! It was great! I knew my husband loved it too when I caught him picking at the pan a few times after dinner!

Anonymous said...

Great recipe!!! so easy & FAST!!

Anonymous said...

Made this tonight and served it with this:

http://asmallsnippet.blogspot.com/2011/03/spicy-thai-noodles.html

Delicious! Thanks!

Julianna said...

Another pinterest finder and boy oh boy was this good. My husband asked me to make it again tonight!!!

Anonymous said...

Made this yesterday. There were no leftovers. Found you on Pinterest. Ahorsesoul

Brandy said...

I want to thank you for posting this recipe! I found it on Pinterest recently. The only thing I did differently was I tripled the red pepper flakes because we like our Mongolian Beef hot. It was perfect!! This will be added to my regular dinner rotation. :)

Shanna said...

I made this tonight and it's DELICIOUS!!

Anonymous said...

I will try this . my husband also loves this dish!

Raechel said...

Just finishing up this recipe as I type and can't wait to eat it. Thanks for sharing!

@speckleofdirt said...

I just made this last week and it was awesome! My whole family loved it!

Mindy said...

I think someone has already said this but this was REALLY GOOD!!! My husband said many times throughout the meal how good it was. So glad I tried your recipe!

jennifer said...

The BEST recipe I have tried in a long time!!! Seriously....delicious. That's all I can say

Anonymous said...

This is amazing, thank you so much!!! I made it tonight for me and my sister and we are crazy over it. I will definitely be remaking this!!

Christie said...

Looks delicious may have to cook this week. Love chinese food but hate the price. Thanks for sharing!!!

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely outstanding!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!! I think I let the sauce reduce a little too much but it was still tasty! My boyfriend loved it too! Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

I just made this, Soooo Yummy! It's my favourite Chinese meal and now I can make it myself...and it's healthy...woo hoo. Thank you so much

Anonymous said...

This is SO good. Thanks for sharing with us!

Jeannetta said...

Wow! This looks excellent, thank you!

Abbie Chalcraft Photography said...

I found you via Pinterest! Thank you, rave reviews from my family of 4! (I doubled the recipe and added mushrooms, but basically followed the rest exactly, using a big tray of pre-cut stew beef- the store had that on sale.)

I will be making this again!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing! My family loved it. Very easy to make. Def. making again.
Christina

Catcraze said...

We made this for a family lunch today, doubled the recipe to feed 5 adults. It was super yummy delicious and we served it over white rice and a side of steamed broccoli. Thanks for a great recipe!

Stacy said...

Thanks so much for the recipe - it was a hit with my family!

Anonymous said...

Wow this was delicious! I will be adding mushrooms next time!

Kelly said...

Just made this for an early dinner. My boyfriend and I LOVED it. Sooo- good. Wish we had leftovers...

Mercylu said...

Just made it for family and they absolutely loved it. I didn't have reg soy sauce so I used ponzu sauce. This will definitely be a do over meal :-)

Anonymous said...

It looks yummie! I will give it a try sometime this week. Thanks for sharing. :-)

Jess said...

Made this tonight. It was so good I licked my plate off, and then took more. Fabulous! (found on Pinterest)

Briana said...

This is one of my husband's new favorite recipes and I also found it on pinterest. I'm printing it again now so we can make it this week :)

Anonymous said...

This recipe is amazing! The only difference I made to it was using ribeye steak! It's incredible! It probably took me 30-35 minutes to make!

Anonymous said...

Making this for the second time tonight! Thanks for the recipe!

Anonymous said...

Looks wonderful, question though, how could I pin this on Pinterest?

Rita said...

To those asking about the Pint it button:
We are working on it as we speak, on our spare time though, so it's not instant:( I believe that people have been pinning it using the button on their favorites bar. This recipe has been super popular on Pinterest and I wanted to thank you all for stopping by to leave all these sweet comments. I am so happy that you enjoyed it!

Unknown said...

We had this for dinner tonight--it was so tasty!!! Found you through Pinterest :)

Anonymous said...

Delicious! Quick and easy, what a hit!

Anonymous said...

Delish! Our family of 4 loves it! I add broccoli, caulif, and carrots to make it more healthy and we have won ton chips on the side!!! SOOOO Good! Will definitely be in our rotation for a while!

Lisa said...

This is the best! I have made it twice in the last two weeks. Family favorite now!

M and M: said...

Just finished making it...OUTSTANDING! I didn't have any ginger, so I added some rice wine vinegar for "fun". It still was amazing! Served it over brown rice with a shanghai cucumber salad and some edamame on the side. Will be repeating this dish over and over. Thanks for sharing!

Crunchy_Conservative said...

This is becoming one of my favorite recipes! I add broccoli or stir-fry veggies and serve over rice or Japanese noodles. Outstanding!! Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Cindy McC. said...

I made this tonight and it was absolutely fabulous! Thanks very much for sharing this with us!

k.dan! said...

Just made this tonight! Fantastic and I am a Chinese food snob:-)

Anonymous said...

I made this last night for dinner and it was GREAT!!! Only I should have made more rice for all that yummy, yummy sauce. My 3 & 5 yr old girls turned up their nose at it, but that was okay, more for me & hubby!

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that I doubled the recipe.

A. Smith said...

Oh my gosh this looks yummy!

misscarolb said...

Just made this (as in, eating it right now) and had to comment! I cooked it down until the sauce was a nice thick syrup - delicious. Will definitely add to my recipe stash.

Valarie said...

my Husband LOVES this recipe! asks me to cook it often. Thanks so much for sharing :)

Anonymous said...

Saw this recipe on pinterest and knew I had to make it! When my sister took the first bite she grinned from ear to ear. Thanks for making my whole family happy by sharing your fantastic recipe :)
www.eatingforthefuture.blogspot.com

Shiloh Barkley said...

This was a great recipe!!

Bishop Family said...

Such an easy and yummy dinner! My kids (8,6,4,1) demanded I make it again! This is a go-to from now on!

Anonymous said...

OMG! So yummy. I made this in the crock pot. I threw all the ingredients (minus the corn starch) in the crock pot for eight hours on low. Had a 2 lb. steak, so I doubled the recipe. I took some of the juice from the crock pot after it was done and added the corn starch to it to thicken it up. Served it over rice. Delicious!

gurlstop95 said...

Will the flank steak be tender. I hate tough meat. I know that is an inexpensive cut of meat. I heard some place the restaurants use baking soda. Does anyone have any information about this?!?! Looks great, really want to try.

Anonymous said...

I made this tonight . I used leftover London broil. Put the cornstarch into the sauce since my meat was already cooked. It was fabulouus!!! Hubby asked for seconds. Thanks for posting this recipe!

Anonymous said...

I don't have a wok, would a reg pan work just as well?

Rita said...

@Anonymous - yes, a large skillet can work too.

Anonymous said...

Thieved your recipe from pinterest. Mostly plagiarized your recipe (and linked back to your post), but posted my results on my own foodblog. Made a quick and easy dinner last night.

Loved that the kitchen wasn't a wreck when we were done.

Thanks for this. It's going to be in heavy rotation at home!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for shearing this recipe, pintrest it to my board so I easily find it again:))
It was so good and tasty!!

I have to make this dish again soon!!
Thank you"!

pammyg said...

This looks yummy! Sorry to all the purists out there but I'm wondering if you think I could also use chicken instead of beef. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

This was delicious!!! Made it tonight & my hubbie loved it! Def a keeper recipe.

Unknown said...

This is awesome made it twice in 3 weeks! Was easy to make too,thank you!!

Anonymous said...

I know when a recipe is good when I am eating it and thinking hmmm when can I make this again! Thanks so much for sharing.

Niki said...

Eating this now. I cut back on the brown sugar (1/4 cup) to keep the carbs down. I also only used one garlic glove as hubby is sensitive to garlic. It doesn't really taste like PF Changs but it is good. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Mongolian Beef is soo good ! I love the spicy kick it delivers !

ratedkb.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

made this today!!! it wa fabulous and easy. only change i made was to add shallots, and i'll probably cut back on the brown sugar next time.

Asis15 said...

Absolutely delicious! My husband and daughter loved it! I already texted my son the link and he is looking forward to making it and tasting it. I put in more garlic and red pepper and less sugar. Came out incredible. The only thing I wish the meat was a bit more tender. Not sure how to make that happen.THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this recipe!!!

Asis15 said...

Absolutely delicious! My husband and daughter loved it! I already texted my son the link and he is looking forward to making it and tasting it. I put in more garlic and red pepper and less sugar. Came out incredible. The only thing I wish the meat was a bit more tender. Not sure how to make that happen.THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this recipe!!!

Anonymous said...

This was amazing!!! Loved it! Totaly AWESOME!!!!!!!

Teach4kids said...

This was AMAZING! Definitely use the low sodium soy sauce. I used full sodium because that's all I had on hand...it made it just a bit too salty. I used frozen broccoli at the end instead of scallions...and I made sure the beef got super crispy on the outside. I LOVED it, and my picky 14 year old son said it was the best thing I have ever cooked!!!! Thank you!!!!!

Leiss317 said...

This was so good, we are trying chicken the same way!!! Thanks for sharing this AMAZING recipe.

Purple Dragonfly said...

I made this with splenda brown sugar (diabetic friendly) It was still a little sweet for our taste so making again tonight with only a little bit(1-2 tbsp) of splenda brn sugar and extra red pepper flakes! Love the recipe and love that you can modify without taking away the flavor!!

Anonymous said...

Just made this for dinner...it was FANTASTIC! My husband loved it and asked to keep this recipe for future dinners. Thank you!

Michele M. Percy said...

this recipe is delish! Thanks!!! It's becoming a go-to meal in our house, fast and inexpensive AND delicious!

Jill said...

Just seen this on pinterest! Looks so yummy, my mouth is watering and I can't wait to make it :)

Lisa said...

I used only 1/2 of the brown sugar (I doubled the recipe) and it was awesome!! Nailed it!!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Thanks for all your hard work in creating this recipe. It's so hard to mess up too! Too salty for your taste? add a little sugar and hot water. Too sweet for your taste? add a little soy sauce and hot water. No corn starch? use flour. I use thinly sliced (slice while half frozen) tri-tip steak and let it simmer just a little longer to make it very tender before adding the sauce. My husband and kids loved it and is now a great addition to my recipe collection.

Anonymous said...

Used twice the pepper flakes, we all seem to like spicy! Delicious! Added some steamed edamame. I am sure I will be making this again very soon! I know it will be a family favorite!

Anonymous said...

this was awesome!

Alex said...

I'm going to try making this tonight. It looks really good. BTW, Amcken3, I avoid GMO ingredients too, but with a little information and effort, you can find non-GMO versions of the ingredients. Look for organic, certified organic, or 100% organic labeling. Foods labeled organic cannot contain GMOs. I buy organic cornstarch. Sugar beets are GMO but cane sugar is not, so I buy 100% cane sugar. Use organic vegetable oil or olive oil instead of canola. And you can get organic soy sauce or non-GMO soy sauce. If you are avoiding GMO ingredients, there are non-GMO versions available. Check out http://www.nongmoproject.org/ for tips on finding non-GMO products.

Anonymous said...

I bet it would be great with chicken too..The restaurant near us makes mongolian chicken and I like it better than the beef....I think I'm going to try it...

Angela Muir said...

I just shared this recipe on my blog today as one of my favorite recipes, i make it all the time! thanks so much for posting :) http://www.handmadeintheheartland.com/2013/09/recipes-i-love.html

Anonymous said...

This ROCKS!!!! I ADDED SESAME SEEDS! YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

I have made this 4 times now. We really love it

Melissa said...

Made this tonight but added steamed broccoli, matchstick carrots, and sauteed fresh mushrooms so that it had more veggies and tossed it all in the same sauce with the beef. Ahhhmazing! Thank you so much!

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