Super Easy Mongolian Beef (P.F. Chang's Copycat) - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is PF Chang's Mongolian sauce? ›

Deep and flavorful, our Mongolian Style BBQ Sauce can attribute its flavor profile to smoked black pepper, sweet molasses, soy sauce and garlic making this sauce versatile for marinades and as a finishing sauce.

Our recipe for Mongolian beef sauce includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce (as a replacement for dark soy sauce), chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Check the ingredient list to see precise amounts. Don't forget that you can scale the recipe up and down!

Usually when we go to PF Chang's, I am all about the Kung Pao Scallops, but Mongolian Beef is also a favorite of mine. Crispy but tender pieces of beef coated in a thick, sweet and a little salty sauce. It's almost like eating beef candy! Add some red pepper flakes if you want to balance the sweetness with some heat.

Szechuan beef vs Mongolian beef, what's the difference? Szechuan beef has a sweet and spicy flavor, and Mongolian beef has a mild taste. Szechuan beef hails from the Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Its main ingredients are chili peppers, garlic, and Szechuan peppercorn.

P.F. Chang's was conceived and developed by Paul Fleming (P.F.) and Philip Chiang (Chang) so both names were incorporated into the name of the concept.

Creamy mayo meets spicy sriracha and smoky chipotle in this hot and spicy sauce that is great for topping sandwiches, burgers, or sushi, or as a dipping sauce for your favorite appetizers.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used as a thickening agent in many Asian dishes. It gives the Mongolian beef its signature glossy, thick sauce. If you can't find cornstarch, use flour instead, but it may not provide the same clear, glossy finish.

Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.

This is the KEY ingredient to super tender beef. Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. If you're curious about the science behind it – baking soda neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline.

The secret is tenderising the meat. It's called velveting beef. Your cheerful local Chinese restaurant is using economical stewing beef to make stir fries with ultra tender strips of beef by tenderising it!

What is Mongolian beef called in China? ›

Flank steak (sliced against the grain) is most commonly used to make Mongolian beef, although any quick cooking beef works great. We use New York strip steaks in our version, as flank steak isn't always found at all grocery stores and New York strip steaks generally are.

TIL Mongolian beef found in Chinese restaurants isn't Mongolian in origin. It actually comes from Mongolian BBQ shops in Taiwan. Mongolian BBQ style restaurants were created by a Taiwanese entrepreneur in the 1950s. There's not one kind of Chinese cuisine either.

If you are like me, you probably asked yourself what's the difference between Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef because these two dishes look very similar. The main difference is in flavor and the use of peppercorns. Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.

Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns. The Szechuan peppercorns has a distinctive tingly numbing sensation when eaten. Mongolian beef has a mild and much simpler taste, making it a kids' favorite, outside of broccoli beef.

In a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup tamari, sugar, vinegar, oil, sake and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add ketchup, coriander, ground ginger and chili. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Mongolian food is heavy in meat but because they do not have lots of spices this food qualifies for light spicy food.