Wow, it's my first time making Mongolian Beef from scratch... fantastic!!! One of our favorite Chinese food chains is Pei Wei. This dish is one of my favorites from them. Unfortunately, we don't have that restaurant in Joplin. Out of this cravings, this recipe came to birth. Actually, it was little Sweetpea's idea to have Chinese food. Once in a while, I give her the pleasure of choosing our meal, anything I'm capable of making at home. And it sure was an excellent choice from her :)
1 pound sirloin or flank steak, diagonally cut in thin strips
2 bunches green onions, sliced in 2 inches
2 medium size organic carrots, thinly sliced in sticks (about 2 inches)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
salt to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed (or more to your taste)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix beef with cornstarch in a bowl and set aside for few minutes, making sure the cornstarch is fully soaked on the beef.
Heat oil in a wok and fry beef in batches making sure not to overcrowd them, until edges become crispy and start to brown, about 2 minutes. Set beef aside, and pour remaining oil out of the wok except 2 tablespoons. Add ginger and garlic into the wok until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, water and sugar, let it boil and gently scraping the bottom of the pan at the same time to loosen bits and pieces. Let it simmer for few minutes until sauce has thickened and slightly reduced. Add carrots, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add green onions and stir until somewhat soft (we like ours a little crispy), about 1 minute. Take off from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy!
