I wish that you could see the Mongolian Beef page in my copy of Chopsticks, Cleaver and Wok, by Jennie Low. It is splattered, splashed and frayed. That goes to show just how many times I have turned to this recipe over the years. I like to use sirloin strip steaks instead of flank steak, which is what is called for in many Asian stir fry recipes. It’s a bit more expensive, for sure, but I find that I can serve four easily with just two good-sized steaks and it has a wonderful texture when sliced very thinly and cooked quickly over very high heat.
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1 1/2 pounds strip sirloin steak
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 green onions, slivered
2 fresh red chili peppers ( or 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes)
Seasoning:
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
dash of pepper
1 tablespoon white wine (or dry sherry)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sauce:
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons catsup
Cut each steak crosswise into three pieces. Trim fat from edges and slice across the grain very thinly…almost paper thin. (a good sharp knife and cold meat will make this easier) Place in a bowl.
Add seasoning ingredients to beef. Mix well.
Combine sauce ingredients, mix well, and set aside.
Heat wok or heavy skillet and add half of the oil. Add half of the garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds over high heat.
Add half of the beef, spreading it out quickly, and let it brown nicely on one side undisturbed (about 2 minutes) Then stir fry for another minute or two until beef is browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil, garlic and beef. (Cooking all of the meat at once will lower the heat in the pan too much causing the meat to simmer. I sometimes have to cook this in many batches when serving a crowd but I just do it ahead of time and reheat it gently at serving time.) Remove second batch of meat to the plate while you briefly stir fry the green onions and red chili pepper for a few seconds then add all of the meat back to the pan. Add the sauce mixture, mix thoroughly and cook for one minute, stirring. The sauce should thicken a bit to coat the meat nicely. Serve with rice. (serves 4)
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