PF Chang's Mongolian Beef

PF Chang's Mongolian Beef
(recipezaar.com)

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• vegetable oil, for frying (about 2/3 cup; you'll end up draining most of it)
• 1 lb flank steak
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large green onions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a small sauce pan. Add the garlic and ginger and saute on medium heat for about 2 minutes (careful not to burn your garlic!).
2. After 2 minutes add the soy sauce and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the brown sugar and reduce heat. Let simmer and thicken while you prepare the beef.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok until it is hot but not smoking. While the oil is heating cut the flank steak into 1/4-1/1 inch strips, against the grain. Coat the the strips in cornstarch and let sit for a few minutes. Next carefully drop the beef strips into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to cook evenly (probably won't be all the way cooked, but mostly).
4. After 2 minutes remove the beef with a slotted a spoon and place on paper towels while you drain the oil from the wok.
5. Put the now empty wok back on the burner add return the beef to the pan. Cook over medium heat. After 2 or 3 minutes add the sauce to the wok and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped green onions.
6. Serve the beef over rice with stir-fry veggies.

I have never cooked with steak before. Never. I wanted to try this recipe though so I expanded my meat repertoire. The steak cost about 4.99 for a pound, but it fed our whole family, who liked it. This is basically Teriyaki sauce, so call it Teriyaki Beef. It is great! I make Teriyaki Chicken a lot, but beef is a nice change. I cooked mine a little bit long because I was afraid of pink so it was a tad chewy but still tasty anyway. Next time I'm wondering about putting it in the crock pot to save time and possibly be tender anyway? Regardless, this recipe is worth making, special occasion or not.