Mongolian Beef # 2

This Mongolian beef stir-fry tastes like the best version of Chinese takeout, but it comes together in your own wok in under 10 minutes of actual cooking. Thin-sliced flank steak gets stir-fried with garlic and scallions, then tossed in a sauce built from hoisin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, wine, and a touch of ketchup.

The ketchup sounds weird but it adds a familiar tomato sweetness and helps the sauce glaze the beef. Combined with hoisin and oyster sauce, it creates that sticky, caramelized coating that makes Mongolian beef so addictive.

Cut the steak across the grain as thin as you can manage. Thin slices cook in seconds in a screaming hot wok and stay tender.

Pro Tips

• Get the wok smoking hot before adding the oil. If the wok isn’t hot enough, the beef steams instead of sears and turns grey and tough.
• Cook the garlic for just a few seconds before adding the beef. Burnt garlic tastes bitter and ruins the sauce.
• Mix the sauce ingredients together before you start cooking. Once the wok is hot, everything moves fast and you won’t have time to measure.
• The cornstarch in the sauce thickens it into a glaze in about a minute. Don’t overcook or it gets gummy.

Variations

• Serve over steamed rice or crispy pan-fried noodles.
• Add dried red chili peppers to the oil before the garlic for a Sichuan-style heat.
• Use thinly sliced chicken breast or pork loin if you prefer a different protein.