The Wok Project: Mongolian Beef

This is the first of a series of videos and post related to wok cooking with an emphasis on Chinese. I plan to show a variety of Chinese dishes, and hopefully teach some new things along the way.

The first installment of The Wok Project is Mongolian Beef. Mongolian Beef is a popular item on many Chinese restaurant menus in the US, however it more properly belongs in the category of Chinese-American food as it is not an authentic Chinese dish. However, the flavors and cooking techniques are certainly consistent with Chinese food and given the popularity of the dish I think it is a good introduction to the Wok Project.

Their are many versions of the dish, a Google search will turn up a variety of recipes and a lot of references to the Mongolian Beef at P. F. Changs, which seems to be a favorite. I have not had their Mongolian Beef, and given my experience with our local P. F. Changs (see my post P. F. Changs Disappointment) I may never try it, but it does seem to be quite popular. Grace Young has a recipe from Martin Yan in The Breath of a Wok called Khangis Kahn Beef which is basically the same dish.

The recipe I demonstrate in this video is from Tigersandstrawberries. I have made a few modifications, changing the type of beef, using regular rather than red jalapenos, and skipping the elegant presentation with the cucumbers. When I was editing the video I realized that I probably took too much credit for the recipe by using the word "inspired" as this recipe is essential the same as Barbara's.

To make Mongolian Beef:

3/4 lb beef (I used top sirloin, flank steak can be used as well, or if you want to go all out use the tenderloin that Barbara uses) cut into thin strips.

Marinade:

1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Cornstarch

Mix above with beef slices and allow to stand for 20 minutes to 1 hour.

1 medium onion -- cut in half and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic -- peeled and thinly slices
about 2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh ginger
2 jalpenos thinly sliced

Sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp ground bean sauce (or bean sauce)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dry sherry of Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon Chinkiang vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

See the video for how to put this all together.