Homemade Mongolian Beef

If anyone asked me what my favorite meal from a Chinese takeout place is, then you'll know that I'll always say Mongolian Beef. I've loved it my whole life and there is a restaurant back home that makes it extremely well. In Texas, however, I have yet to find a restaurant where I would rave about the Mongolian beef. Which is why I started to experiment with recipes at home.  I used the Broccoli Beef marinade (doubled it) to tenderize my meat and made slight adjustments to the sauce from Damn Delicious and our meal turned out amazing. Dr. Sweetpea couldn't stop raving about how good it was and that we never need to order Chinese takeout again for Mongolian beef.

Mongolian Beef'

(Source: Damn Delicious and Rainy Day Gal) 

Marinade: 

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced flank steak 

Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (I marinated overnight), then proceed below. 

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup water (can increase to 1/2 cup if too salty to your taste)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and 1/4 cup water. Heat soy sauce mixture in a medium saucepan until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes; set aside. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add beef and fry until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil. Add beef and soy sauce mixture to the saucepan over medium heat and cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in green onions. Serve immediately.