Hello hi everyone! Wesley here. This is a recipe for a Crispy Mongolian Beef from PF Chang's that adds to our series on Chinese American food hacks, where we deconstruct Americanized Chinese classics, identify their American qualities, and reconstruct it with a more authentic and traditional approach to Chinese cooking. This dish is a super simple and delicious approach to a crispy flank steak stir fry that uses a corn starch coating for a crispy wok sear. Hope you try it!

 

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS (dry)

  • 1 lb top cut angus sirloin steak

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 tbsp ginger (about 1 inch)

  • 2 green onions

  • 1/2 medium sweet white onion

  • 6-8 dried tianjin peppers

  • 1/3 cup corn starch

  • corn starch slurry

INGREDIENTS (sauce)

  • 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or 2 tbsp full sodium soy sauce)

  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp black vinegar

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine

  • 1/4 cup stock

INGREDIENTS (marinade)

  • 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or 2 tbsp full sodium soy sauce)

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

  • 2 tbsp shaoxing wine

  • 1/4 tsp corn starch

PREP

  • COMBINE all wet sauce ingredients, set aside

  • CRUSH AND MINCE the garlic, set aside

  • FINE MINCE the ginger, set aside

  • LARGE DICE the white onion, set aside

  • SEPARATE the green onions, then slice the whites thinly, and the greens into 1 inch planks, set aside

  • SLICE the angus steak into thin 1 inch strips against the grain, then combine with all marinade ingredients, and marinate for 30 minutes

  • REMOVE steak from marinade, coat in corn starch, and set aside

  • COMBINE 2 tbsp of corn starch with water into a corn starch slurry, set aside

ON THE STOVE

  • PREHEAT a wok as hot as possible, then add 4 tbsp of vegetable oil and long yao

  • ADD steak strips flat side down one at a time and sear for 3 minutes, then flip for an additional 2 minutes, and remove

  • WIPE down the wok, add an additional 4 tbsp vegetable oil, and long yao

  • ADD garlic, ginger, and the whites of the green onions and bloom until fragrant (about 15 seconds)

  • ADD tianjin peppers and toss for 30 seconds until fragrant

  • ADD onions and toss for 1-2 minutes until tender

  • ADD the seared steak, sauce mixture, and greens of the green onions and toss until combined

  • ADD corn starch slurry a little at a time until desired sauce thickness is reached

  • REMOVE and serve over rice

 

tagged with woo can cook, PF Chang’s, Mongolian Beef, Crispy Beef, Chinese American Food Hack