Mongolian Beef is one of my favorite dishes to order at P.F. Changs. The Beef is tender and so flavorful. But due to our “getting out of debt” situation (find story here), I’m not eating out very often. Let me rephrase with a famous Dave Ramsey Quote, “you’re not going to a restaurant unless you’re working in one.” That said, we try to avoid going out to eat and rarely do. But that doesn’t mean we are robots that never long for restaurants and yummy food at said restaurants.
What to do when you’re craving Restaurant Food but lack the Cash?
A brilliant professor once told me, “Conflict breeds creativity”. Our conflict: we don’t have the budget to go out to eat all the time. Thus we find ways to make the yummy restaurant-style food at home. This is where the creativity comes into play. We look up different recipes, try them out and then adjust them to our tastes. Actually, it’s so fun and rewarding when you make something that taste just as good as the food from a restaurant.
Cooking the Steak for Mongolian Beef
Honestly, I used to be so intimidated trying new recipes, especially recipes that require meat. Mainly, because meat can be so expensive and I really didn’t want to screw up. The artist, Henri Matisse, said, “Creativity takes courage.” So, my awesome readers, if you feel nervous about trying this recipe, have courage and try it anyway. Besides, this recipe is actually pretty easy. I’ll share a few tips to calm those nerves.
Creativity takes courage.
Henri Matisse
- Cut the meat very thin and a really sharp knife helps accomplish this. Great knives can be very pricey but it’s definitely worth saving up for one. We used Ibotta Cash-back gift cards to buy this amazing knife. Another option, is to freeze the meat a bit. If you cut the meat thin enough it will thaw before you toss it in the corn starch.
- Don’t overcook the beef. When Cooking the beef, do not cook it very long. It can still be pink in them middle and. perfectly safe to eat. Remember with this recipe you cook the meat twice, once alone and a second time. with the sauce.
- Prep before you cook. Start cooking the rice first, and cut everything before you start cooking. This will help prevent absolute pandemonium whilst cooking!
Products I love!
Here are some products I use and it makes cooking so much better! The wok and the cast iron skillet sear the meat so nicely! Yum! The knife is pricey but it’s made all the chopping less of a hassle!
Mongolian Beef [P.F. Changs Copycat Recipe]
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp canola oil (vegetable or olive)
- ½ teaspoon ginger, minced
- 4 cloves garlic , finely minced
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar (I add heaping 1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp garlic chili sauce (Huy Fong Brand) add more for extra spice!
- 1 lb skirt steak or flank steak (or your favorite cut of beef very thinly sliced)
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 4 green onions, , sliced (original recipe calls for 2 but I like green onions so I always do more)
Instructions
- Start your rice (I do mine on the stove). Chop all your ingredients first. Slice the flank steak into 1/4" or thinner slices and toss with cornstarch. Sometimes, if the steak is partially frozen it will help with the cutting. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a small pan over medium low. Add ginger and garlic and stir just until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add soy sauce, water and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Let boil 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- Place 1 tablespoon at a time of oil in a pan or wok and heat over medium high heat. Gently shake off any excess cornstarch from the beef. Cook the beef in small batches for about 2 minutes. (It doesn't need to cook all of the way through, it will cook completely when combined with the sauce). If you overcook the beef, it will be chewy. NO BUENO! The beef will naturally clump together. Try to separate the strips of meat as best you can so it will all cook evenly.
- Once all the beef has been cooked, combine with the sauce and heat over medium until hot and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in green onions. Serve over rice.
Notes
More CopyCat Recipes
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