Mongolian Beef

Posted 2001/04/04 at 03:32 in Recipes
Updated 2009/12/13 at 23:04

2 lbs flank steak
4 tbsp peanut (I use olive) oil
4 tbsp chopped garlic
4 green onions, slivered
2 tbsp chopped ginger (optional)

Sauce ingredients:

.5 cup chicken stock (plain chicken soup)
2 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper
ground black pepper to taste
4 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp corn starch (stir in VERY well)
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp wine (optional)

Mix the sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl or measuring cup in the given
order, that way you only end up using one tsp and one tbsp without making a
huge mess with all the sticky goop food ingredients. Stir the entire mix VERY
well until all dark lumps of hoisin and oyster sauce and light lumps of corn
starch are all gone.

Sliver the green onions (cut lengthwise into three or four sections, then cut
crosswise into three to five shorter pieces.) Peel garlic sections and mash,
then dice. Cut excess fat off of flank steak, then cut into long strips WITH
the grain of the meat. Cut each of these strips into thin slices ACROSS the
grain. It is easier to cut flank steak when you throw it in the freezer for
15-30 mins before cutting.

Heat wok with oil. A 12″ flat-bottomed frying wok works well with 2 lbs of
meat. I use a Circulon, the preferred wok of Martin Yan of Yan Can Cook. (So
can you!) Add garlic to hot oil first and brown. Add green onion and ginger
and brown. Add meat and fry until it’s cooked (no red showing ANYWHERE.) At
this point I usually drain MOST, but not all, of the juices from the meat and
veggies into the sink and leave a little in the wok. If you drain anything,
be sure not to lose any of the green onion and chopped garlic and ginger (pour
with some meat and your spatula in the way so the meat catches all of the bits
and pieces.) Put the wok back on the stove and add the sauce mix, stirring it
before you pour it in because it will separate some. The sauce will thicken
into a gloopy brown mess like most Chinese food is, but don’t stop stirring.
After the sauce is thickened fully (stuff annoyingly sticks to your spatula
and it’s a pain in the ass to get off), turn the heat down to low or med-low
and let sit while you cook your rice or ramen noodles.

Serves 2-4.p