Mongolian Beef and Rice

I used to think that food I ordered in some restaurants was just too difficult to make at home. Now I know that is not true. And I can make many dishes for a fraction of the cost of what I would spend eating out with my family. We enjoy Mongolian Beef and Rice at a local restaurant. I came up with this recipe after doing a little experimenting. My family gives it a thumbs up.  So get your chopsticks ready, here we go!

Flank steak is an affordable cut of beef and is used to make this delicious Mongolian Beef recipe. The beef is sliced thin and dusted with cornstarch to give it that crispy, caramelized texture. The rich sauce is made with garlic, ginger and soy sauce. It’s delicious meal and it’s so easy to make!

Mongolian Beef and Rice Recipe

What’s needed?

• 1/3 cup canola oil plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 1/3 pound flank steak (or top sirloin)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup cornstarch

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup beef stock (or water)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch to make a thickener
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger root (optional)
• 6 green onions, cut on the diagonal

How to make Mongolian Beef and Rice?

• Put soy sauce in one bowl and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Cut the beef across the grain into thin strips.

• Dip the beef in the soy sauce and then in the cornstarch, coating each piece.
• Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Add the beef in a single layer and cook on one side for about two minutes. Turn and cook for another minute.

• Remove the beef when cooked through. Place it on a plate lined with a paper towel. Continue this process until all beef is cooked. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the wok for the last batch of beef.

How to make the sauce?

• Now for the sauce…add the minced garlic to the wok and cook for one minute while stirring. Do not burn the garlic. Add the soy sauce, beef stock, grated ginger and brown sugar to the wok and continue to stir. 
• Mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl to make a thickener. Add it to the wok slowly. Stir and allow the sauce to thicken. It will take about one minute.
• Add the beef to the wok and sprinkle in the chopped green onions. Stir for about two minutes until the beef is coated and the onions are just heated through and wilted.

Serve the beef on a platter with some white rice. My family gobbled this up in no time flat. Hope you like this recipe and think to make it yourself next time you reach for the phone to order take out. This whole meal, including the salad and the rice, cost me less than $10.00 for all four servings.

We enjoy eating white rice with this meal, as it absorbs all the flavors in the savory sauce. It is also delicious with Fried Rice and puts this easy meal over the top! A 30-minute meal never tasted so good.