Spicy Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

• 500 g beef (sliced into 1/4 inch (0.5cm) pieces; flank steak, sirloin, or filet recommended)
• 1 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce (for marinade)
• 0.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 0.25 cup cornflour (for coating beef)
• 0.25 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
• 3 garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp ginger (minced)
• 8 dried red chilies (whole)
• 2 tsp red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• 2 spring onions (green part only, cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces)
• 3 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for sauce)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar (for sauce)
• 0.5 cup chicken broth (for sauce)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp cornflour (for slurry)
• 2 tbsp water (for slurry)

Steps

1. 1

   Add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the sliced beef and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Coat the marinated beef with 1/4 cup of cornstarch and leave for an additional 15 minutes.

3. 3

   In a small bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons all-purpose soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth, and sesame oil to prepare the Mongolian sauce.

4. 4

   Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over high heat.

5. 5

   Add half of the beef to the pan and fry until the edges start to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat the process for the remaining beef.

6. 6

   Drain the oil, leaving around 2 tablespoons in the same pan.

7. 7

   Add the minced ginger, minced garlic, dried red chilies, and chili flakes to the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.

8. 8

   Pour the prepared Mongolian sauce into the pan and bring it to a simmer.

9. 9

   Mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Gradually add the slurry to the pan while stirring continuously.

10. 10

    When the sauce has thickened, toss the fried beef back into the pan to coat.

11. 11

    Turn off the heat and mix in the green parts of the spring onions.

12. 12

    Sprinkle with extra red chili flakes if desired and serve immediately with rice.

Notes

For the best results, use flank steak, sirloin, or filet. If you are in Pakistan, 'undercut' is the recommended cut. You can serve this with steamed broccoli or stir-fried vegetables. To make it extra tender, some users suggest dusting the beef with baking soda for 30 minutes before rinsing and marinating.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• beef
• spicy
• stir-fry
• Chinese-inspired
• weeknight meal
• high-protein