Copycat PF Chang's Mongolian Beef
Try this Copycat PF Chang's Mongolian Beef recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Copycat PF Chang's Mongolian Beef recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- cooked rice
- 1 lb flank steak sliced thinly against the grain
- 2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into bite-sized pi
- 3 garlic cloves grated or finely minced
- 1 inch knob of ginger peeled and grated or finely minced
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (dish w
- 3 green onions cut into thirds
- Carbohydrate 51.6249333838132 g
- Cholesterol 39.689332375 mg
- Fat 8.22084323225255 g
- Fiber 0.162000004098987 g
- Protein 25.1170752285693 g
- Saturated Fat 3.40129519465046 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (226g)
- Sodium 73.0466366312088 mg
- Sugar 51.4629333797142 g
- Trans Fat 1.137215096675 g
- Calories 385 calories
Step-by-step
- Toss the flank steak with cornstarch in a plastic bag until all the pieces are coated. Empty into a colander and shake off excess cornstarch. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Add in garlic and ginger, then immediately add in soy sauce or tamari, water and brown sugar. Turn heat down to medium and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the sauce mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1-1/2 Tablespoons oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring every so often, until it is just barely cooked. Some pink still showing is ok. Add the sauce with asparagus back into the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer until sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Stir in green onions and serve over rice.
Achieving restaurant-quality crust on flank steak requires coating the meat in cornstarch and shaking off every grain of excess powder through a colander before it hits the pan. Without this step, loose starch will form a gummy paste rather than a crisp exterior. Skillet size matters tremendously here. Use a wide, heavy skillet to maintain high heat without crowding the beef.
Slicing and Starch Management
Slice the 1 lb flank steak very thinly across the muscle fibers to shorten the protein strands, ensuring tender bites. Tossing the slices in cornstarch creates a protective barrier that seals in juices while thickening the soy-sugar sauce later. Shake the coated beef vigorously in a colander. Leaving too much starch behind turns the cooking oil murky and bitter.High-Heat Control
Cook the asparagus briefly for 1 minute before adding aromatics so it retains snap. When frying the beef in 1.5 tablespoons of oil, keep the burner on high heat and stir only occasionally to let a deep sear develop. Remove the skillet from direct heat or lower the flame immediately if the sugar in the sauce threatens to burn during the final simmer.
