Mongolian beef
Mongolian beef is a popular Chinese-American dish with a dark, lightly sweet sauce and spring onions. It is not a traditional Mongolian stew: the beef is thinly sliced and cooked quickly.
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare thin slices
Pat the beef dry and slice across the grain about 3 mm thick. You can chill it until firm to make slicing easier, but do not freeze it solid. Cut the spring onions into lengths of about 4 cm.
Coat the meat with cornstarch
Mix the beef with cornstarch, separating any clumps by hand. Each piece should have a thin dry coating. Shake off excess that does not stick to the surface before frying.
Cook the base of the sauce
Mince the garlic and ginger. In a small saucepan, heat the water, soy sauce and sugar until dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes, then set aside so the sauce does not reduce to a syrup.
Quickly stir-fry the meat
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide frying pan until hot. Fry the beef in two batches for 2–3 minutes each, turning until browned and 63 °C in the centre. Rest on a plate for 3 minutes.
Combine with aromatics
Leave a thin layer of oil in the wok, add garlic and ginger. After 30 seconds, pour in the prepared sauce, bring to a boil, and return the meat. Stir for 1 minute until the sauce begins to thicken.
Add the green onions
Add the spring onions and cook for another 1 minute, keeping their bright colour. The sauce should coat the beef rather than collect as thick caramel on the base of the pan. Take off the heat and serve without extra toppings.
Little hint
Choose regular-flowing soy sauce rather than the sweet glazing mixture. Thin slicing and quick frying in small batches are more important than additional time on the pan.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
Choose regular-flowing soy sauce rather than the sweet glazing mixture. Thin slicing and quick frying in small batches are more important than additional time on the pan.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Pat the beef dry and slice across the grain about 3 mm thick. You can chill it until firm to make slicing easier, but do not freeze it solid. Cut the spring onions into lengths of about 4 cm.
