Mongolian Beef

I’m pretty sure I could live on Chinese take-out. I never, ever get sick of it, it always sounds good to me! Of course, my favorite dishes are the most unhealthy ones on the menu plus Shane doesn’t like the food from my go-to restaurant, so it’s super rare that we order out for it. Instead, over the past few years we’ve been collecting recipes that allow us to make the dishes we love at home. I know exactly what goes in them, I can customize to suit our tastes, and it’s usually cheaper – win, win win! And even though it means I have to wash the dishes afterward instead of leaving that task to the folks at the restaurant, I’d still vote for the homemade version every time.

Believe it or not, I didn’t add this Mongolian beef to the menu because it’s a take-out favorite. In fact, neither of us had ever tried it before. Glancing down the ingredient list though, it was a pretty safe bet we’d be fans. This is probably the fastest and easiest of the take-out recipes I’ve tried – it definitely comes together more quickly than picking up the phone and waiting for delivery. Actually, now that I’ve said that, I should confess we never do delivery. No matter what we order, Shane always goes and picks it up. So, this also saves him from having to out out. And it was really, really good – the steak was so tender and the sauce very flavorful. A definite repeat, and a fun new addition to our take-out at home repertoire!

What’s your go-to Chinese take-out order? Do you ever make it at home? Do tell, I am ready for my next project 🙂

Mongolian Beef
slightly adapted from Pink Bites

{Note: You could use flank steak for the recipe instead – skirt steak was just more readily available by me.}

1 lb skirt steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2-3 cloves)
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Pat the steak dry then add to a resealable plastic bag. Add the cornstarch to the bag and toss to coat all of the steak evenly. Transfer the steak to a fine mesh strainer and shake off any excess cornstarch. Whisk the water, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes together in a medium bowl to make the sauce and set aside.

Set a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil. When hot, add the ginger and garlic, stirring just until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Add the sauce to the pan and cook for 2 minutes (it won’t thicken up yet, so no worries if yours is thin). Transfer to a bowl.

Increase the heat to high, and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides (this will happen quickly – just a few minutes). Add the sauce back to the pan with the beef and continue cooking until the sauce reaches your desired consistency – the longer you cook it, the thicker it will become. Add the scallions to the pan, stir to incorporate then remove the pan from the heat. Serve the beef over rice and garnish with extra scallions, if desired.