This Mongolian Beef recipe can be made faster and better than take out. And best of all, you probably already have most of the ingredients.
Despite what the name implies, Mongolian Beef isn’t a Mongolian dish. It actually originated in Taiwan and quickly became very popular here in the States. Restaurant chains such as P.F. Chang's really helped bring the dish to the masses.
Today you will find Mongolian Beef everywhere. For the most part, it is a delicious dish. Tender slices of beef stir fried with aromatics and a savory sauce. What’s not to love? My kids devour it like a piece of cake. That is kind of the problem. Actually 2 problems. Everywhere I have ever ordered it, the beef is waaaay too salty/sweet and is coated in waaaay too much cornstarch. You know when you order a plate of stir fried beef, and the beef doesn’t taste or feel like beef because of all the cornstarch. Not so good.
I actually gave up ordering Mongolian Beef years ago because I figured out how to make it better at home. A couple simple solutions to a couple simple problems.
Solution #1, cut back on the sauces and sugar. I could never figure out why restaurants always believed a good Mongolian Beef had to be overly flavored. Maybe they are trying to mask the cheap cut of beef they are using. Or maybe that is how they believed it should be made. No matter the reason, I like to have all the flavors a bit more balanced: beef, sauce and aromatics. You need to be able distinguish all the parts, not just the sauce.
Solution #2, use waaay less cornstarch or use a more tender cut of beef. For this recipe I use the ‘eye’ part of a ribeye steak. It is tender, holds together well and tastes great. If you prefer to use the more common flank steak, go easy on the cornstarch. You only need to give the flank a light dusting, no need to dredge it like a batter. A nice light dusting, that’s all.
Both dishes are stir fried beef simmered in a thick sauce. The sauce for Mongolian Beef can be described as a sweet and savory soy sauce, where Szechuan Beef can be described as tangy and sweet. Mongolian Beef is usually fried with green onions and Szechuan Beef is usually fried with white onions.
I prefer ribeye for its tenderness but flank, skirt, top lion and tender lion all work well. If you are using a cut that tends to be on the tougher side, be sure not to skip adding cornstarch to the marinade.
Ingredients
- 12 oz beef, sliced
- 6-8 stalks of green onions, cut into 3" segments
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
MARINADE
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch, do not need if you are using ribeye or tenderlion
SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
Instructions
- Mix all the MARINADE ingredients in a bowl and combine with the sliced beef. Allow it to marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
- Mix all the SAUCE ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add about a tablespoon of oil. Add the beef and fry over high heat. Allow it to sear on each side before flipping. We don't need it to cook all the way through, just a quick sear is all. Remove from wok and set aside.
- There should be some residual oil in the wok, if it is dry, add a tiny bit of oil, just enough to coat the bottom.
- Turn the stove to medium heat, add the garlic and fry until it begins to change color, about 5-10 seconds. Be careful, the garlic can burn really fast.
- Add the green onions, turn the heat to high, and fry until it begins to slightly wilt, about 10-20 seconds.
- Return the beef to the wok, pour in the SAUCE and mix well to combine.
- Stir fry over high heat for about 45-60 seconds, just long enough for the SAUCE to thicken and cling to the beef.
- Serve immediately with rice.
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