Jan 27, 2011

PF Chang's Mongolian Beef


I am not sure why it took me so long to find this recipe. I mean really I LOVE, love, love PF Chang's Mongolian Beef. In fact, I never order anything else. I love it so much that I pretty much stab someone with a fork if they want to try and make our PF Chang's meals "family style". When ever we schedule a date/outing there (which is rare...probably why I am obsessed with this dish) I immediately start dreaming of my beloved beef. I know it is not right that a person should love food that much, but lets face it I do and I am not ashamed to admit it.

On one of our last dates there, I found myself thinking someone must have made a copycat of this recipe somewhere. Alas, I just forgot about trying to find it.

Fast forward to a week ago. I found the copy cat in a recipe book that I checked out from the library. I might have literally squealed and jumped for joy. I bookmarked it and set it aside to make a copy. I put the dish on my menu for the following week...I know you are surprised I didn't try to make it that night. 

The day I planned to make it I lost the recipe and the book was already back at the library. NOOOOO!!! Hubby suggest I look online. Guess what? Very similar recipes are pretty much everywhere on the internet. So I printed off one of them and I was off. (SO no one worry that I am infringing on copyright laws by sharing this recipe...well for the most part after all I don't know where these people got their recipe).

The recipe is pretty easy to follow. For the most part the ingredients are not too pricey. I did not alter the recipe at all. I wanted to see how the original recipe faired compared to the restaurant meal. As I was making it I was a little leery. It simply didn't look like my Chang's Beef. At one point I think I actually slumped over and pouted at Hubby that it was going to "suck"...yeah it was a glass half empty kind of day. He of course encouraged me to keep going, probably because we had no other option for dinner and there was pricey beef in the skillet.

I will tell you, once I poured on the sauce in the last steps I was almost sold. The smell! Well it was all that was glorious I tell you. If I closed my eyes and tuned out the screaming Little Men running around the house, I could almost imagine I was sitting there at PF Chang's. Hope started to bubble up.

I will contain myself and not write a novel about the fireworks that occurred when I actually ate this dish. Let's just say that I almost speared hubby and each one of the boys when the reached for a seconds of the beef. Yeah, it was that good.

SO, this recipe gets my stamp of approval. The only differences in this dish and the real thing were minor things that could only be fixed if I actually made it in a restaurant grade kitchen with professional equipment.

If you like this dish at PF Chang's give this recipe a go. Your stomach will thank you!

Is it okay that I am drooling and already wanting this meal again???

PF Chang's Mongolian Beef 

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced (I used a paste)
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 large green onions, sliced in 2" segments

Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan on med heat, oil shouldn't get too hot. Add ginger and garlic to the pan. Almost right away add the soy sauce and water. 

Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce. Raise the heat to medium high and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4" thick slices. You can get this cut if you tilt your knife 45 degrees as you slice.

Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch, applying a thin dusting to both sides. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

As the beef sits, heat up the oil in a wok or deep skillet. The oil should be hot, but not smoking.

Add the beef and saute for 2 minutes or until the beef edges are just beginning to darken. Stir meat around so it cooks evenly. Remove the meat and rest it on paper towels. Pour the oil out of the wok.

Put the pan back over med heat and put the meat back in, let it simmer for about a minute.

Add the sauce, cook for another minute while stirring. Then add the green onions. Cook for another minute.

Remove the meat/onions from the pan and put on a serving dish.

Serve with brown or white rice.

8 comments:

Stefi said...

I have never been to PF Chang's but my favorite dish at Big Bowl is mongolian beef so I will definitely try the recipe this weekend.
And I'll put PF Chang's on my to-go restaurants list :)

Kristi said...

This is my favorite thing at PF Changs too! I'm making my hubby take me there for my birthday coming up. I'm so excited! Now I don't have to wait until March for Mongolian Beef!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!

ColleenandKendra said...

I've never had PF Changs, but that sounds YUM! I'm going to try it next week. I think Kendra will love it, too! Thanks for sharing!

Maggie and Sheepie said...

I've tried two other recipes of yours, the Yaki tacos and the Honey lime enchiladas (made yesterday for a friend who just had a baby and, of course, a batch for us...I LOVE them!). You have definitely not disappointed us with your recipes, so I will give this a shot! P.S. I made the enchiladas for another friend that had a baby and her husband, whom I still have never met, asked her if I was Mexican because he liked them so much!

Red Couch Recipes said...

Larissa, good morning! I also do NOT like to eat family style at Chinese restaurants! I know what I want and I DO NOT want to share -- well, maybe with my husband. Inevitably, someone will like your dish more than what they ordered. I am going to try this -- love Asian food. I like P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps of course too. Joni

Amanda said...

on the next menu!

Sam said...

We just had this for dinner and it was DELISH! Even the toddler, who we're pretty sure survives on frozen waffles and goldfish, shoveled it in. We'll be making it again for sure!

Anonymous said...

Okay, I know I already posted on this last month, but I just had to tell you... I made it! I went to PF Chang's a few weeks ago and had the Mongolian Beef. It wasn't as good as i remembered it. I made it at home and it was AMAZING. Thank you so much for helping me make this. What would I do without you?

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