EASY MONGOLIAN BEEF - PF CHANG COPYCAT

I came up with this easy copycat recipe for Mongolian Beef as it’s my husbands favourite dish from the PF Changs restaurants we always hit up when we are traveling in the US.

BONUS: It can be ready in under 30 minutes!

The thinly sliced beef is tossed in a sweet soy garlic ginger sauce and pairs beautifully with steamed rice.   Don’t leave out the green onions!  I’m not a huge fan of them ordinarily but they shine tastily in this recipe.

Tip: Place your beef in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing into thin pieces. This helps firm it up for easier thin slicing.

Makes 4-6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

BEEF

• 2 pounds flank steak or NY strip steak ribeye steak

• ½ cup cornstarch

• ½ cup avocado or olive oil

SAUCE

• 2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil

• 1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 4-5 cloves minced garlic

• 2 Tbsp minced or grated ginger

• 1 cup water

• 1 Tbsp white rice vinegar

• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

GARNISH

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice your beef against the grain in 1/4” thick strips

2. Add the cornstarch and sliced beef to a ziplock bag and toss until well coated.

3. In a small pot, stir all of the sauce ingredients and cook over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set it aside.

4. While your sauce is thickening, heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add several pieces of the beef and cook until browned. Don’t overcrowd the pan or you will bring the temperature down too quickly and your meat won’t sear nicely. You will need to do several batches. Place the browned beef on a paper towel lined dish and cover with foil to keep warm.

5. After all of the beef is browned, return it all to the skillet and pour your thickened sauce over the it. Stir until coated and allow to simmer for a couple more minutes.

   *If you find the sauce is too thin for your liking, you can dissolve 1 tsp cornstarch into 2-3 tablespoons of cold water and pour into the beef mixture and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until thickened.

6. Add the sliced green onions and toss to coat.

7. Serve over rice and garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds if desired.