Mongolian Beef

I love P.F. Changs. There, I said it. There's something about that place that keeps drawing me back in, and I'm not afraid to admit it. However, in my quest to avoid take-out or processed foods as much as possible, I decided it would be a good challenge to try to make some of my restaurant favorites at home. I have already conquered chicken lettuce wraps, so next I decided to try Mongolian Beef which is one of Andy's go-to meals at P.F. Changs. Beef strips are stir-fried until slightly crispy, and then they are coated in a sweet, salty, and sticky sauce and the whole combination is served over fluffy rice. This is a very delicious meal, and while it's not the healthiest thing I've ever made, it saved us a few bucks to make at home. Mongolian Beef will be added to list of recipes to make again and again (though maybe not for another 12 months!). Yum!

Mongolian Beef

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. ginger, minced or grated

2 tbsp. garlic, minced or grated

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar, packed 

1 cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup vegetable oil

2 lb. flank steak

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 green onions, chopped

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the 4 tsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sautee for 1 minute until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Add the soy sauce and brown sugar and bring the sauce to a simmer.  In a measuring cup, whisk together the water and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Once the sauce has simmered for about 5-8 minutes, whisk in the water/cornstarch and return to a simmer to thicken slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. 

Make the beef: Tilt your knife on a 45 degree angle and cut slices about 1/4 inch thick (against the grain). Coat the steak slices in cornstarch and shake to remove all excess. Lay the slices out on a cutting board and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the cornstarch to set to the meat.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet until it just begins to shimmer. Working in batches, fry the beef (carefully) until it gets brown around the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the beef to a paper towel lined plate and continue working in batches until all the beef is cooked. Dump all of the oil out of the skillet and return all of the beef to the pan. Add the sauce and sliced green onions and cook over medium low heat until the sauce has coated and everything is heated through. Serve over cooked rice. Yum!