I remember vividly the visits I had to Nashville every few months or so as a child to visit my doctor. “Don’t touch the fish or the clock” he used to always say. After each visit, I’d splurge with my father at P.F. Chang’s and enjoy my favorite dish, Mongolian beef.

Through some research and personal motivation, I’ve made an exact replica of their signature dish.

Let’s get into it.

How to Make Mongolian Beef

Prep

Gather ingredients/materials

  • Multiple non-stick skillet pans (Le Creuset preferred)
  • Serving dish
  • Cutting board
  • Stirring spoon
  • Good knife
  • Rubber spoon (Le Creuset)
  • 2lb pre-sliced beef (or slice a flank steak into small strips)
  • 3 tablespoons of canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1/2 brown sugar
  • 1 table spoon of minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of pressed garlic (I use a garlic press, you should too)
  • Large ziplock bag
  • 1/3 cup of corn starch
  • 1/2 tablespoon Black and White peppercorns (grinded)
  • Dash of salt
  • Green onions to top (cut in about an inch length)

It would be in your best interest to assemble all the ingredients before cooking. Saves time!

Step #1

Make the glaze

  • In a deep non-stick skillet pan, heat to medium.
  • Proceed to add 1 tablespoon of canola oil, ginger, garlic, and 1/2 cup of soy sauce, water, and brown sugar.
  • Using a wooden stirring spoon, monitor and stir mixture frequently as it cooks on medium for about 10-15 minutes.
  • Once mixture is reduced to half (becomes more thick), turn off heat and set glaze to the side.
Should look similar to the above once done. Make sure you can notice the thickness and clear reduction.

Step #2

Prepare the beef for cooking

  • Using your cutting board spread out about 2lbs of pre-sliced beef.
  • If you bought a flank steak, be sure to freeze it for 20-30 minutes prior to slicing (makes it way easier to slice) and slice against the marbleing of the meat.
Flank steak is the way to go if you like longer pieces, but pre-sliced beef works just as fine.

Step #3

Beef prep continued

  • Using a large ziplock bag, transfer sliced beef into it.
  • Proceed to add about 1/3 cup of corn starch, grinded peppercorns and a dash of salt.
  • Shake vigorously to combine ingredients until uniform.
  • Transfer to a medium sized bowl.
Make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Step #4

Cook beef

  • Using a non-stick skillet pan, heat to medium
  • Proceed to add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and add a small batch of beef once skillet is piping hot.
  • Repeat the process of adding batches and placing to the side in a serving dish for a total of 2-3 times.
  • Cook each batch for 10-12 minutes each.
  • Keep final batch in the skillet, you’ll need it for the next step.
This dish will be your serving dish.

Step #5

Add glaze and serve!

  • Once you’ve finished the process of cooking small batches of beef and your final batch looks well done, begin to add glaze you left to the side to skillet pan.
  • Place remaining pieces of beef you left on the side into the mixture as well.
  • Lower the heat and let cook for an additional 2 more minutes.
  • Add green onions and incorporate with glaze and beef.
  • Serve and enjoy!
Now that is some good stuff.

This dish wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be, but then again I love to cook and some may find it more difficult than others. But as a whole, this is definitely something I feel anyone can make following the above steps. A little time consuming, but worth the effort.