Recipe Time – Mongolian Beef

This dinner is one of the favorites in our house – it’s DELICIOUS!!  I thought I’d share…

1 lb flank steak or last night I used bottom round roast which was presliced

1/4 c cornstarch

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 TBS minced garlic

1 TBS grated ginger (I buy about a 3 inch piece of ginger and use that, never measure out the 1 TBS)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 TBS rice wine (I’m not going to buy rice wine, which I guess is basically saki, so I just use whatever white wine I have on hand)

3 green onions sliced

other vegetables you’d like – I usually use carrots, red bell peppers and asparagus

oil for frying meat

Step 1 – to make the sauce – in a saucepan heat 2 tsp of the oil.  Add garlic and ginger, stir fry for about a minute.  Add soy sauce, wine and water.  Add brown sugar and dissolve into sauce.  Bring the sauce to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat. Before I use add it later on, I strain it first – helps remove the strings on ginger.  I do add some of what is caught in the strainer back into the sauce. 

Step 2 – Slice the steak into 1/4inch slices.  Toss the steak with the cornstarch and let sit for 10 minutes – this i very important – DO NOT SKIP!!

Step 3 – Heat about a cup of oil in a wok to medium heat.  Add the beef slices and cook for about 3 minutes (or use a deep fryer). I don’t cook all the beef at the same time otherwise it won’t crisp up.  I cook about 10 pieces at a time.  Either use a splash guard for the splattering oil or stand back and WATCH OUT!!  It hurts and can be a long process of cooking the beef.  Cook beef until crispy and browned.

Step 4 – Remove the meat from the wok and drain on a paper towel.  Drain all of the oil from the wok except for about a TBS.  Add vegetables and stir fry for a few minutes; add the green onions and cook for another minute or so.  Add the steak back in and pour in the sauce.  Cook while stirring until it reaches a boil.  I usually add a little more cornstarch mixed with water in to help it thicken.

Serve over rice

 

Let me know what you think.