The first time I tasted Mongolian beef was at a Chinese chain restaurant, P.F. Chang’s. The beef was savory, salty, and incredibly tender. Since then I developed my own version, and it has become a regular on our dinner table. Although the name suggests otherwise, this dish is American-Chinese in origin and is not from Mongolia.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) skirt or flank steak, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice
- 1 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed or finely minced
- 2 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry as a substitute)
- 4 oz (115 g) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 large spring onions (green onions), chopped
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground ginger, Chinese five-spice, chili powder, soy sauce, brown sugar, crushed garlic, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Add the sliced beef, toss to coat thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours (overnight yields even better flavor).
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped spring onions and sliced shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry briefly until they begin to soften, about 1–2 minutes. Remove the aromatics to the edge of the pan if space is limited, then add the marinated beef strips to the wok, leaving most of the liquid marinade behind in the bowl. Using tongs can make adding the strips easier and helps keep the pieces separate.
Stir the beef and vegetables continuously so the meat cooks evenly. When the beef begins to brown, pour in just enough of the reserved marinade to cover about half of the contents of the pan. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then cook until the sauce thickens and glazes the beef—this should take only a minute or two once boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (a touch more sugar for sweetness or a splash of soy for saltiness).
Serve the Mongolian beef immediately over steamed rice with a side of steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days and reheat nicely in a skillet over medium heat.