A Personal Victory

Okay, this is another recipe. But this is pretty exciting for me, because I find recipes like this one to be somewhat intimidating. I'm not sure why, but I've just always been afraid to try Asian recipes because they seem more intricate than others. However, I found this recipe and tried it out, tweaked it, and made it again a few months later.

Holy crap. It was so delicious.

I LOVE Pei Wei's Mongolian Beef-- Every time I go there I order it, and it's just so delicious. That's what I was going for with this recipe and I feel rather proud that I got extraordinarily similar results.

(As a bonus, this dish was incredibly inexpensive to make and I got plenty of leftovers. I froze the leftover sauce.)

Here is what you'll need:
A medium skillet, filled with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil
1/2 Tsp ginger, minced (you can buy fresh and freeze the rest)
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
8 oz white mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tsp vegetable oil
1 lb flank steak, cut against the grain into bite-sized strips
1/4 cup corn starch
 2 large green onions, chopped

(While you're making the sauce and beef, cook your rice however you like it. I usually cook 1 cup dry rice with 2 cups water and a splash of olive oil to keep it from bubbling over.)

First, heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.  Don't get the oil too hot. Add ginger, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan and in about 2 minutes add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce using a whisk for smoothness, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat. 

Next, put the cornstarch on a plate and coat your steak strips. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes while your large pan of oil heats-- this will help the cornstarch stick. Once the oil is hot and the beef has sat, start frying it in the oil-- don't crowd the pan. As the pieces cook, flip once. When they're done, pull the beef and set the strips on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the oil.  

When your rice and beef are done, serve with green onions and sauce! Personally, I think it tastes best with the beef on top of the rice, topped with the sauce, and sprinkled with chopped green onions. 

The last step: feel proud and brag to your friends. You're welcome.