Bill loves Mongolian Beef. Whenever we go out to a Chinese restaurant, or grab take-out, he orders it. Several years ago, I found a recipe that tastes just like P.F. Changs’ Mongolian Beef. I tried it and loved it, but hadn’t made it in years. I remember it tasted great, but required a lot of dishes and extra cleanup.. As I write this, I’m starting to wonder if I am just a messy cook (my husband would absolutely support this theory, as he is usually on clean up duty).
If you are looking for a healthy low calorie option, this is not the meal for you. I did adjust the original ingredients to reduce the calories, but it is still would fall into the splurge category for me.
The original recipe called for flank steak which I’m not a huge fan, but I learned my lesson after the steak tacos and kept this option in. Most of the time is consumed by cutting the meat. (It might be time to invest into a better knife set). I coated the steak bites in corn starch and let sit while I made the sauce.
I used 1/2 the oil and 1/2 the brown sugar recommended (my recipe below adjusts). While sauce was thickening, I cooked the meat, again using way less oil than the recipe called for. Taking the meat out of the pan, draining it and putting back in seems like an unneeded step, but, it is important to drain off excess oil (and part of the messy step).
After that, throw the meat back in the pan with the sauce cook a minute or two add the green onions and cook until soft.
I served with white rice and extra soy sauce.
Rating: Great. The recipe had a couple extra steps (cornstarch and draining) as well as used extra dishes (making sauce), which made it more likely not a weeknight meal for me. Actual cook time was minimal, but required continual monitoring.
- 1½ tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup of lite soy sauce
- ½ cup of water
- ½ cup of dark brown sugar
- 1½ lbs Slice Flank Steak - against the grain - ¼" pieces
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 bunches of green onions - cut in ⅓
- Heat oil in medium saucepan, add the ginger and garlic, stir and then add the water and soy sauce. Add brown sugar. Boil until thickened. Set aside.
- Dust flank steak pieces in cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes. Heat oil in wok. Add steak and cook until almost done (2-3 minutes). Remove steak from pan with tongs or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour excess oil from wok and add meat back to the pan. Add sauce to meat and heat through (1-2 minutes). Final step, add the green onions cook until soft.
- Serve with white rice or vegetables.
- Enjoy.
