Welcome to this week’s episode of I live in the middle of nowhere. And while there are so many benefits to small town living, the one thing I often do miss about big city living is Chinese Take out. This better than take out Mongolian Beef was created out of pure craving in the middle of snow storm February, when I couldn’t find a good place close enough to get takeout. And wow, did it pay off!
The key to this mongolian beef candy if you will is dredging the skirt steak in cornstarch before frying to get the ultimate crisp with every bite. Once coated in the sauce it adds this sweet glaze of moisture that allows each bite to both be crispy and juicy at the same time.
A little backstory on mongolian beef. I was never one to order this when we went out to dinner. It always showed up either soggy or deep fried in a batter then coated with sauce leaving all the beef flavor out if any at all. But when I went to Chicago with some friends before quarantine, a friend had ordered a dish of mongolian beef for the table and wow. When this is made the right way, where the beef is super crispy but jam packed with amazing moisture from the marinade and so glossy with sauce that your fingers stick to it, its insanely delicious.
Now I really like to dredge my mongolian beef in a lot of sauce, because well, I am a huge sauce girl, but this can easily be reduced. If you want to start by adding only a little bit of sauce at a time until you get the right glaze that’s perfect. These taste just as good with any amount of sauce on them. And speaking of sauce…
With any sort of chinese take out, I’m sure you are aware that sodium is pretty heavy in the ingredients and while these are a healthier option than getting the msg filled chinese version from your local take out, these aren’t short of sodium.
To make the sauce, you add in ginger and garlic to add a wonderfully rounded spice. But the high amount of soy sauce and chicken broth make this sauce extra salty. Don’t be afraid of this however! The sauce may taste sweet once made, but when you add it to the beef, the brown sugar and chili flakes combined with the beef really counteract that salt factor and create the best umami flavor.
So please, do yourself a favor and next time you are at the store, buy these ingredients. While it may be intimidating to make at home, Chinese food is insanely good when its from scratch and you will be day dreaming about the next time you make this dish for weeks to come. I know I am.
Better than takeout Mongolian Beef
Equipment
- Deep Set Cast Iron Skillet
- Deep Fry/Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 lbs beef steak or strip steak
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Crispy Steak
- Canola Oil for Frying
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
Brown Sugar Soy Glaze
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup water
- Optional: scallions for serving
- Optional: Sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a deep dish and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- When ready to fry, take the beef out of the marinade and let it rest until room temp, about 30 minutes.
- Slice beef into 2 inch slices against the grain so they are thin strips. Coat in the cornstarch.
- Heat about 2-3 inches of oil in a deep cast iron skillet or dutch oven to 350 degrees F. When ready drop each piece into the oil trying to avoid overcrowding. Fry until crispy, flipping halfway through, about 3 minutes per side. Drain onto a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- While the beef is frying, make the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch water slurry into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and allow the sauce to cook down into a thick glaze, about 4-6 minutes. Towards the end of simmering, add the cornstarch slurry and watch the sauce thicken right up! Set aside.
- When beef is fried and sauce is thick, throw all ingredients into a large bowl and toss until the beef is coated in the glaze. Sprinkle on scallions and sesame seeds to serve.
Nutrition
