Mongolian Beef, Chef G. Style

Hi folks, Chef G. here.  It has only been a day since my last episode, which makes this post unprecedented in the annals of Chef G. Cooking Channel history.  Let's just say, "I'm happier than a religious figure who has risen from the dead to be entertaining the world once again."

I'm not claiming to be a true religious figure but, let's face it, I DO have a huge cult-like following.

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I've never been to Mongolia, and the only things I know about the Mongolian culture is that they know how to endure cold weather, they herd yaks, and they pretty much invented yurts.

Chef G. from Outer Mongolia.  Way, way out of Outer Mongolia.

A yak

A yurt

I assume Mongolians invented Mongolian Beef too, but I can't be sure of that.  I was more than a little disappointed when I learned General Tso's Chicken--a staple at every Chinese restaurant in America--does not even exist in China.  In the same way, could it be that Mongolian Beef has no relationship to authentic Mongolian cooking?  Probably, but I don't even want to know the truth about that.

Mongolian Beef is one of my go-to dishes when I eat at Asian restaurants--along with Szechuan Chicken, Pork Lo Mein, Sushi, and any Thai dish that includes noodles.

I'm going to assume AUTHENTIC Mongolian chefs use yak meat, not cow meat, when cooking over an open flame inside their yurts.  I have no access to yak meat here in Minnesota, and I don't have a yurt.  Therefore, I'll substitute cow meat and a cheap electric stove in a warm kitchen for this recipe.  

The first step is to add 1/4 cup of corn starch to 1/2 lb. of thinly sliced sirloin and shake it around in a zip-lock baggie.  (Similar to how my mom used to make Shake 'n Bake in the 1970's.)  Then stir fry the beef in a very hot pan.  When browned on both sides, set the beef aside.

Next, mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1/2 cup of soy sauce.

Add minced ginger and garlic to the same bowl.

Whisk it all together

Here's a picture of the beef I set aside.

The next step is to add slivered carrots and sliced onions to the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger & garlic mixture.  Cook for about two minutes.

Prepare some delicious Jasmine rice according to directions on the package.

Get some green onions and red pepper flakes ready.  They'll be used for garnish and extra flavor.

Add the reserved beef to the pan.  It will be looking delicious after a few minutes of stir frying.

Add the green onions and red chilis.  Then serve over the rice.

I'll tell you one thing right now.  My Mongolian Beef was delicious, whether it was authentic or not.  The meat was tender and perfectly browned, the sauce was absolutely perfect, the aromatic vegetables were aromatic, the carrots were a scrumptious addition, and the heat was just riiiiight.  I congratulated myself after eating it.  You can congratulate me too after you've cooked the recipe yourself.