Dinner at Our House: Mongolian Beef

On Sunday, Tim and I went grocery shopping. I decided we needed to 'give back' because my mom and dad have been feeding us quite a bit. I bought enough food to make three of our 'signature' meals (by which I mean meals we made in Athens because I only know a handful of recipes). I've been waiting all week to cook (I couldn't Monday or Tuesday night because of work stuff) but I finally had my chance. Tonight, I made Mongolian Beef with onions, green peppers and 'steamed rice.'

Let me explain...back in Athens, Tim and I would cook rice in a rice steamer. It was great. Measure the right amount of water + rice and you are good to go. However, we tried to use a microwavable rice steamer tonight that belongs to my parents and the result was not acceptable. Timing is everything when making this dish. I don't like veggies to overcook so I usually have the rice going while I'm making everything else so both end up ready at the same time. Because of our rice disaster we had to wait on a second batch of rice and it was pretty bleh. That is also why I didn't photograph it tonight.

I have in the past though. Here is what it looked like when I made it in the past (sans veggies and with fried rice):

I got the recipe from allrecipes.com but I'll post it here too. My secret ingredient that I add to this is a dash of red pepper flakes to give it a tiny kick.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 pound beef flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 2 bunches green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic and ginger until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and slightly thickens. Remove sauce from the heat, and set aside.
2. Place the sliced beef into a bowl, and stir the cornstarch into the beef, coating it thoroughly. Allow the beef and cornstarch to sit until most of the juices from the meat have been absorbed by the cornstarch, about 10 minutes.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-sided skillet or wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Shake excess cornstarch from the beef slices, and drop them into the hot oil, a few at a time. Stir briefly, and fry until the edges become crisp and start to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the beef from the oil with a large slotted spoon, and allow to drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
5. Pour the oil out of the skillet or wok, and return the pan to medium heat. Return the beef slices to the pan, stir briefly, and pour in the reserved sauce. Stir once or twice to combine, and add the green onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.