You can find this recipe and slight variations on multiple blogs and there are tons of pins on Pinterest calling this the PF Changs copycat recipe. Well, it looks like the mongolian beef from PF Changs and it is good but it is not the same. This was much better than any mongolian beef at the Chinese restaurants I have tried because the quality of meat is better and the sauce is really good. The sauce was super simple and it would be a great marinade for chicken or a glaze for grilled shrimp or salmon or as a topping for rice plus it only took 5 minutes to make. Start to finish it took me (and my husband, who volunteered) about 45 minutes to make. Just remember, it is not PF Changs but it’s probably as close as you are going to get without actually going to PF Changs. According to my calculations, which could be wrong, it is about 137 calories per ounce, so you could think of this as a splurge night kind of dish. One serving (let’s say 5 ounces) is about 685 calories and that’s without the rice.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced or ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 bunch green onions (about 8), sliced into 1-inch pieces

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in pan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and water.

2. Stir in the brown sugar and increase the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

3. Slice the flank steak in half vertically and cut into 3 inch slices about a 1/2 thick. Toss the pieces with the cornstarch, shake off any excess cornstarch and place on a plate for about 8 minutes.

4. Place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Once the oil is warm, add the beef to the pan and allow to cook on both sides till it is just a little pink in the middle.

5. Remove the steak from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer it onto a paper towel lined plate. Pour any excess oil out of the pan.

6.  Place the sauté pan back over medium heat. Add the prepared sauce to the hot pan, then add the steak and cook at a boil, stirring constantly. Make sure your beef is cooked to your liking (ours was a little pink) and add the green onions, stir.