BEST Mongolian Beef Recipe - The Daring Gourmet (2024)

FAQs

What cut of beef is Mongolian beef made from? ›

What's the best cut of beef for making Mongolian Beef? Restaurants often slice up flank steak for this type of stir-fry. It's also a great choice for beginner cooks, because the grain on flank steak is really, really obvious, which makes it easy to make sure that you're slicing against the grain.

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.

The science behind using baking soda to marinate Mongolian Beef: The alkalinity of baking soda raises the pH of the meat, causing the proteins to move further apart, and that makes it more tender and easier for us to chew or bite into.

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.

Mongolian Beef can be described as having a savory soy-based sauce with scallions as its main aromatic. Szechuan Beef has a similar soy sauce-based profile but with the addition of a spicy element, such as fresh or dried chilis and/or Sichuan peppercorns for a numbing sensation.

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.

In conclusion, Mongolian beef can be a healthy and nutritious dish when prepared with the right ingredients and cooking methods. It's a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and various vitamins and minerals.

Those who prefer a more intense heat may enjoy Hunan dishes more while those who look for a unique type of spice may look to Szechuan dishes instead.

Just as you would with dry brining, rinse your meat until it's (mostly) free of all the baking soda.

What does baking soda do to meat? ›

Baking soda. Here's where it gets science-y: The baking soda raises the pH on the outside of the meat as it marinates, in a process known as velveting (which can also be done with a cornstarch slurry). This makes it so the proteins have a harder time bonding to each other when it's time to cook the meat.

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)

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

Hunan beef also packs in some heat in the form of chili peppers, but it's not a numbing heat whatsoever and I like to think of it as the milder cousin to Szeuchuan beef. What's the difference between Hunan beef vs Mongolian beef? Another favorite beef recipe of mine, Mongolian beef is much sweeter than Hunan beef.

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.

Well, virtually any cut is used overall in Chinese cooking, but in common take away, usually it's pretty common cuts that would be used. More often than not, it's the cheapest cuts like flank or hanger steak, or loin or butt meat from the pork or beef.

Carpaccio (UK: /kɑːrˈpætʃ(i)oʊ/, US: /-ˈpɑːtʃ-/, Italian: [karˈpattʃo]) is a dish of meat or fish (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna), thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer.

Chinese restaurants typically use flank steak, an affordable cut with great flavor. The steak should be cut thinly against the grain. Each slice should be about one-eighth of an inch thick, since thinner slices have more surface area for the marinade.

Flank Steak: Flank steak is a lean and flavorful cut of beef that's perfect for Mongolian Beef. Slicing it thin ensures it cooks quickly and absorbs the tasty sauce. Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to coat the sliced beef.