Mongolian Beef

Oh, the weather outside is... disgusting.

If I could bear the thought of storing a picture on my iPhone of my front yard so I could post it for you, I would.  But looking outside makes me figuratively ill.  Realizing my truck's gas gauge was on 'E' and needing to make a late night gas run in the middle of an almost-blizzard... that made me literally ill.

I've lived in upstate New York all of my life.  I should be fairly proficient at shoveling snow and walking on ice and all of those talents that all good northerners should have.  You would think.  Unfortunately, every year, as much as I enjoy the snow on occasion, I spend about 90% of the time either ignoring or fighting with winter.

Don't get me wrong.  There are tons of fun things to do in winter if you just look for them.  I'm all for ice skating, snowmobiling, fishing and sledding.  And yes, I'm 26 but sledding is still a hobby of mine.  The trouble is, when you're done with the snow, the snow is not done with you.  It doesn't care that you're boots have no traction, or your tires for that matter.  It doesn't care that the Vitamin D in your system is virtually depleted and you're on the brink of a nasty case of Seasonal Affective Disorder.  It doesn't care if your pipes burst, or if your power goes out, or if an icicle-covered tree branch falls on your most important possessions.  As much as New Yorkers love the stuff, we readily admit that it's a pain in the butt about 90% of the time.

So where am I going with this?  Well, thanks for asking.  When winter comes, I invariably become a huge hermit by where I don't leave me house unless someone is paying me to.  It also means I have to be a little bit more creative because the things I take for granted in the summertime are no longer in reach for me.  That includes my snack shop and coffee shop stops.  In fact, if you look back through some other posts, you might notice a trend where my fast food copycats are more commonly posted in winter months.  That's no coincidence when you consider there's about 10 miles of below zero weather separating me from my favorite foods.

So, in honor of my recluse nature, I'm posting some more of my favorite restaurant knock-offs.
One of the best things I've eaten in awhile is this Mongolian Beef at a recent grand opening of a new Chinese restaurant.  I usually go for chicken when I go Chinese, so this was actually an unusual choice for me.  But I was definitely not disappointed.  In fact, I was so inspired to use these Asian flavors on beef that I spent all of the following morning planning out how to make my own version.  As good as takeout is, there is always something more satisfying about a home-cooked dish, and making your own Mongolian Beef is no exception.  This version has the same flavor while tasting fresher, and the meat is cooked perfectly to my liking.

This dish will make you re-think Chinese takeout forever!





Mongolian Beef

1 lb. steak meat, cut in 1/2" strips
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup beef stock
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cornstarch
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 scallions, chopped

In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook garlic for 1 minute in oil.

Add beef to pan and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. 

Pour in soy sauce and beef stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Stir in brown sugar and ginger and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in cornstarch, salt and pepper.  Simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes, until thickened.

Remove from heat.  Garnish with scallions.  Serve with rice or noodles, if desired.