Mongolian Beef

Here's a tasty meal for the family.  Mongolian beef.  The first time I made it by a recipe I found and it wasn't quite what I wanted.  I altered it a bit and added a couple things and I think it came out just about right.  Best served with brown rice.

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1 1/2 pound beef
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 large green onions
• 1 cup white mushrooms

Directions:

1. Slice the steak into 1/4” thick bite size slices.
2. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece.
3. Let beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
4. While beef is sitting, make the sauce by heating 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp sesame seed oil in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.  Don’t let the oil get too hot.
5. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
6. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes.  Then remove it from the heat.
7. Heat up one cup of oil in a wok over medium heat until it’s nice and hot but not smoking. You may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil. You may have to do half the beef at a time. 
8. Add the beef to the oil and saute for about 2 minutes or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.  You don’t need a thorough cooking at this point since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
9. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.  After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels.  Then pour the oil out of the wok.
10. Put the wok back over the heat, dump the meet back into it and simmer for another minute.
11. Add about 1/2 the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring.
12. Add onions and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.
13. Serve over rice.