Mongolian Beef: One of Our Most Popular Recipes! - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

Is Mongolian beef an authentic Chinese dish? ›

Despite its name, the dish has nothing to do with Mongolian cuisine. Mongolian beef is among the meat dishes developed in Taiwan where Mongolian barbecue restaurants first appeared. Thus, none of the ingredients or the preparation methods are drawn from traditional Mongolian cuisine but rather from Chinese cuisine.

This is the KEY ingredient to super tender beef. Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. If you're curious about the science behind it – baking soda neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline.

Our recipe for Mongolian beef sauce includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce (as a replacement for dark soy sauce), chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Check the ingredient list to see precise amounts. Don't forget that you can scale the recipe up and down!

Szechuan Beef is known for its use of Szechuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and often a spicy sauce made with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Mongolian Beef, on the other hand, features ingredients such as soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, and sometimes oyster sauce for a sweet and savory flavor.

Traditional Mongolian food is heavily influenced by the country's climate and nomadic culture. The majority of its dishes consist of nutrient-rich dairy, meat, and animal fats, particularly from cattle, mutton, horse, goat, and game meat. Due to the nomadic lifestyle, more delicate cuisines weren't prevalent.

Its sweetness appeals to kids and even adventurous eaters tend to view it as a comfort food. The dish is made of flank steak, a lean (albeit sometimes chewy) cut of beef, with a marinade of brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic (via Dinner Then Dessert).

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.

Transfer the meat to a zip-top bag, stainless steel or glass bowl, or other non-reactive container, and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to overnight. Remove the meat from the container and briefly rinse the meat in plain water to strip off the baking soda solution (or as much of it as possible). Cook as desired.

Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.

What is a substitute for cornstarch in Mongolian beef? ›

It gives the Mongolian beef its signature glossy, thick sauce. If you can't find cornstarch, use flour instead, but it may not provide the same clear, glossy finish. Soy sauce: This gives the dish its savory, umami flavor.

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)

Sliced beef marinated in soy and then stir-fried with peppers and onions.

In traditional Chinese cuisine, beef is not as commonly used as other meats, such as pork and chicken, and it is often seen as less desirable. This is because, in the past, beef was not as readily available in China as it is today, and it was often reserved for special occasions.

When done just right, it's perfectly sweet and savory, slightly spicy, and loaded with lots of delicious aromatics such as ginger, garlic, green onions and even a few dried red chilis, all combined to bring a nice pop of deep, fragrant flavor.

The secret is tenderising the meat. It's called velveting beef. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!

Mongolian barbecue was created by Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur Wu Zhaonan. A native of Beijing, Wu fled to Taiwan after the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War, and opened a street food stall in Yingqiao, Taipei in 1951.

Traditional Mongolian cuisine largely became a regional style of dish that grew out of China's Mongol Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia and in other northern Chinese provinces, as far east as Beijing. The diet typically blended a need for a nomadic diet with flavor and ingredient influences from China and Russia.

What is the difference between kung pao beef and mongolian beef? This kung pao beef is a spicy Chinese-American dish made with beef, peanuts, and vegetables. Mongolian beef is made with beef and onions and is not spicy.