Mongolian Beef (Easy, 30-Minute Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the fastest way to prepare beef? ›

Stir-frying is another quick technique for cooking beef. Specifically, thin strips that are cooked in a hot skillet or wok using a small amount of oil. The great thing about stir-frying is that all the ingredients in the dish, including vegetables, like onions and bell peppers, are cooked together in the same pan.

This is the KEY ingredient to super tender beef. Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. If you're curious about the science behind it – baking soda neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline.

In conclusion, Mongolian beef can be a healthy and nutritious dish when prepared with the right ingredients and cooking methods. It's a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and various vitamins and minerals.

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.

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.

Less than a teaspoon of baking soda ensures that your steak remains juicy and tender—even after a speedy marinade. While other recipes demand hours of marinating, this baking soda hack makes a flank steak or any other fibrous cut of beef ready to sear after just an hour.

It all starts with tenderizing the meat with baking soda and water that is massaged into the thinly sliced meat. It is then left to marinate for about an hour or two before cooking. Cornstarch instead of baking soda will also do the trick. Typically, the cornstarch is blended with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Mongolian beef is a Taiwan meal comprised of sliced beef, often flank steak, and onions. It's a basic stir fry of thin slices of beef cooked in a sauce of soy, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.

Is there another name for Mongolian beef? ›

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)

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

Szechuan beef vs Mongolian beef, what's the difference? Szechuan beef has a sweet and spicy flavor, and Mongolian beef has a mild taste. Szechuan beef hails from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Its main ingredients are chili peppers, garlic, and Szechuan peppercorn.

Making the Mongolian Beef Sauce

Whisk the Mongolian Beef Sauce ingredients together consisting of soy sauce, water, brown sugar, Asian sweet chili sauce, rice wine, hoisin, pepper, sriracha and cornstarch.

You're not likely to find this kind of "Mongolian beef" in either Mongolia or China, but you will see a very similar dish, 葱爆牛肉 (cung1 baau3 ngau4 juk6), or beef stir fry with green onions, in China.

Pan-Searing: This involves quickly cooking meat in a hot pan with some oil. It's a fast method, especially for smaller cuts like steaks or chops. Grilling: Grilling over high heat can cook meat quickly. It's a popular method for burgers, steaks, and other cuts.

The total cooking time depends on the weight of the meat. To cook rare, allow 15-20 minutes per 500g of meat. To cook medium allow 20-25 minutes per 500g of meat. To cook well done allow 25-30 minutes per 500g of meat.

Boiling meat already helps make tough cuts more tender. These cuts of beef often have elastin and collagen marbled within, making it sinewy and chewy. Cooking it with moist heat — such as by boiling or simmering — helps to slowly break down this connective tissue without drying out the meat altogether.