Mongolian Beef

I don’t put the foil on for too many meals, but Mongolian Beef is a recipe where the ‘woking’ at super high temperatures causes lots of splatter. Since I do the cleanup of the cooktop, I add the foil to keep the mess down. Unlike the Hansen brothers from Slapshot who use the foil every time, I reserve it for particularly messy prep.

Mongolian Beef is another recipe in our family that has its roots in PF Changs. Now, I know that’s a bit cliche and purists are probably simmering as they are reading this. That said, it is delicious and aside from the mess, the meal is pretty simple to prepare.

Ingredients

• 1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (plus more as needed)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup water
• 4–6 green onions, sliced (plus more for garnish)
• Cooked sushi rice, for serving (its stickiness makes it easier to pick up with chopsticks)
• Optional: red pepper flakes or a splash of rice vinegar for brightness

Instructions

1. Pat the steak dry and toss with cornstarch to coat evenly. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prep the sauce ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, and water. Set aside.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef strips until browned and crisp around the edges. Transfer to a lined quarter sheet tray fitted with a rack to keep the meat crisp. Repeat as needed.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add a bit more oil if necessary. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer. Let bubble for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Add sautéed red bell pepper strips and broccoli florets to the sauce. Return 2/3 of the cooked beef to the pan along with green onions and toss to coat in the sauce, warming through. Reserve the remaining 1/3 of the meat and 1/4 of the sauce to serve separately — this keeps some beef extra crispy for serving.. Toss to coat in the sauce and heat through, about 1 minute.
7. Serve with the sushi rice and garnish with extra green onions. Add red pepper flakes or a splash of rice vinegar if desired for contrast.

Serving Suggestion

Serve family-style with the sushi rice in a separate bowl to let everyone portion as they like — this keeps the rice from getting overly sauced and allows the crispy beef to stay crisp. A crisp, dry Riesling or chilled ginger beer makes a perfect pairing with the sweet-savory flavor profile.