BEST Mongolian Beef Recipe - The Daring Gourmet (2024)

FAQs

What cut of beef is Mongolian beef made from? ›

Flank steak (sliced against the grain) is most commonly used to make Mongolian beef, although any quick cooking beef works great. We use New York strip steaks in our version, as flank steak isn't always found at all grocery stores and New York strip steaks generally are.

Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef

Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns. The Szechuan peppercorns has a distinctive tingly numbing sensation when eaten. Mongolian beef has a mild and much simpler taste, making it a kids' favorite, outside of broccoli beef.

Minced garlic: We sauté the fresh garlic in the oil before we put the stir fry together. Baking soda: acts as a natural tenderizer in this recipe. It is my secret ingredient for take-out recipes as it gives the beef (or chicken) a tender texture even if you marinate it for a short 15-20 minutes.

Despite its name, the dish has nothing to do with Mongolian cuisine. Mongolian beef is among the meat dishes developed in Taiwan where Mongolian barbecue restaurants first appeared. Thus, none of the ingredients or the preparation methods are drawn from traditional Mongolian cuisine but rather from Chinese cuisine.

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.

Sirloin is a frequent substitute, as are hanger and skirt steak. Avoid any stewing meats, however. But remember, an expensive cut isn't necessary -- the dish doesn't highlight the beef's flavor.

The secret is tenderising the meat. It's called velveting beef. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!

Chinese restaurants typically use flank steak, an affordable cut with great flavor. The steak should be cut thinly against the grain. Each slice should be about one-eighth of an inch thick, since thinner slices have more surface area for the marinade.

Those who prefer a more intense heat may enjoy Hunan dishes more while those who look for a unique type of spice may look to Szechuan dishes instead.

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

How do Chinese get their beef so soft? ›

How is it that these restaurants can get the meat to be so soft and moist no matter how much they are cooking and for different recipes? 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.

Transfer the meat to a zip-top bag, stainless steel or glass bowl, or other non-reactive container, and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to overnight. Remove the meat from the container and briefly rinse the meat in plain water to strip off the baking soda solution (or as much of it as possible). Cook as desired.

I recommend flank steak in Mongolian Beef because although it is an inexpensive cut of beef, it transforms into buttery delicious when marinated and coated in soy sauce and cornstarch.

The Best Beef Cuts for Popular Asian Recipes. Flank, ribeye, sirloin or mince. We simplify the ideal cut of beef for your Asian dish of choice.

Carpaccio meat is typically sliced very, very thin.

Flank steak is a beef steak cut from the abdominal muscles of the cow. This cut is also called the London Broil due to its popularity in that city. It is a long, flat cut that runs from the rib end of the animal to the hip or rump.