P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef has always been one of my very favorite beef dishes.  Tender slices of beef are cooked until just slightly crispy on the outside and then bathed in a sauce that is a perfect balance of sweet and salty.  This easy copycat Chinese-American recipe is even better than the original in my opinion.  It is easy to throw together and you can pretty much feed the whole family for less than you would pay for one dish at the restaurant!

A couple of tips for this recipe:

• Flank steak works beautifully for this recipe, but I like using thinly sliced petite sirloin steak or even London Broil too to make this dish.  The key is to make sure your steak is sliced very thinly against the grain so it stays tender as you cook it.
• The steak is easier to slice if it’s partially frozen so I usually take a piece out of the freezer and let it defrost half way, then slice it up while it’s still a bit firm and let it defrost the rest of the way after slicing. 
• When frying the beef, don’t over crowd your pan.  Just do enough where the oil can move around between the pieces, or your meat will be soggy!
• As a note, the red pepper flakes in this recipe are completely optional.  They add an extra punch of heat that I love, but you can skip them, or just add a little.  (I like the whole 1/2 tsp in mine.) 
• The sesame seeds are also optional, they just look pretty and add a nice nuttiness to the final dish.

Ingredients:

• 2lb flank or sirloin steak
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil for frying
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
• 1-1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1-1/3 cups brown sugar
• 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes, (optional)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water
• 2 large green spring onions, sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds and additional green spring onion for garnish, optional

Instructions:

1. Slice the steak against the grain as thin as you can get it but no more than 1/4″ thick bite-size slices.
2. Place the steak pieces in a Ziploc bag and add the cornstarch to coat the steak.
3. Seal the bag, shake and smoosh the meat all around in the bag to make sure the pieces are nice and coated.
4. Line a plate with a couple of paper towels.
5. To cook the beef:  Heat the cup of oil in a frying pan until nice and hot, (a piece of the beef immediately starts to sizzle when you add it.)  Carefully add the beef in batches to the oil and sauté for a total of 2-3 minutes until the beef just begins to darken on the edges, stirring and flipping as needed to help it cook evenly.  After a couple of minutes use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and place it on the plate lined with paper towels.  Repeat with the rest of the meat in batches until it is all done.  Set aside.
6. For the sauce:  Heat the 2 Tbsp of canola oil in a large deep pan over med/low heat.
7. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for just 1 minute.
8. Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and (optional) red pepper flakes, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Stir in the cornstarch and water mixture, let continue to cook and just slightly thicken for 1 more minute.  Add in the cooked beef and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring to make sure all the meat is covered in sauce.
10. Stir in the sliced green onions then remove immediately from the heat.
11. Serve over rice and garnish with more sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.