Mongolian Beef Recipe Better Than Takeout (2024)

FAQs

Why is Mongolian beef so good? ›

Its sweetness appeals to kids and even adventurous eaters tend to view it as a comfort food. The dish is made of flank steak, a lean (albeit sometimes chewy) cut of beef, with a marinade of brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic (via Dinner Then Dessert).

What's the best cut of beef for making Mongolian Beef? Restaurants often slice up flank steak for this type of stir-fry. It's also a great choice for beginner cooks, because the grain on flank steak is really, really obvious, which makes it easy to make sure that you're slicing against the grain.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used as a thickening agent in many Asian dishes. It gives the Mongolian beef its signature glossy, thick sauce. If you can't find cornstarch, use flour instead, but it may not provide the same clear, glossy finish.

Mongolian Beef can be described as having a savory soy-based sauce with scallions as its main aromatic. Szechuan Beef has a similar soy sauce-based profile but with the addition of a spicy element, such as fresh or dried chilis and/or Sichuan peppercorns for a numbing sensation.

When done just right, it's perfectly sweet and savory, slightly spicy, and loaded with lots of delicious aromatics such as ginger, garlic, green onions and even a few dried red chilis, all combined to bring a nice pop of deep, fragrant flavor.

We also love serving this dish with garlic noodles, chow mein and a side of lightly roasted green beans. In the U.S. Mongolian beef is also commonly served over a bed of fried cellophane noodles, which adds a light, crisp texture to the overall dish.

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

Why It Works. Salt and soy sauce tenderize meat, help it retain moisture, and increase its savoriness. Sugar helps browning characteristics. Oil helps distribute fat-soluble aromatic compounds over the meat.

Is Hunan beef the same as Mongolian beef? ›

Hunan beef also packs in some heat in the form of chili peppers, but it's not a numbing heat whatsoever and I like to think of it as the milder cousin to Szeuchuan beef. What's the difference between Hunan beef vs Mongolian beef? Another favorite beef recipe of mine, Mongolian beef is much sweeter than Hunan beef.

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)

Sliced beef marinated in soy and then stir-fried with peppers and onions.

Like many stir fry dishes, it is important to thinly slice the meat, which means stir-frying will obviously overcook the meat, which in turn will make it tough and chewy.

Traditional Mongolian food is heavily influenced by the country's climate and nomadic culture. The majority of its dishes consist of nutrient-rich dairy, meat, and animal fats, particularly from cattle, mutton, horse, goat, and game meat. Due to the nomadic lifestyle, more delicate cuisines weren't prevalent.

Mongolian beef is a dish from Taiwan consisting of sliced beef, typically flank steak, usually made with onions. The beef is commonly paired with scallions or mixed vegetables and is often not spicy. The dish is often served over steamed rice, or in the US, over crispy fried cellophane noodles.

That's because as a culture of nomadic herders, they eat what's at hand – and that's whatever their herd supplies. Mongolians have eaten this way for centuries. Mutton (sheep), goat, and beef are their main source of meat and are often refer to red foods.

Meat and milk from livestock – specifically, the Five Snouts: horses, yaks, camels, goats, and sheep – play a prominent role in traditional Mongolian food, as does their fat, the eating of which helps nomadic Mongolians endure harsh winters.