Chinese-American · main
Mongolian Beef
Mongolian Beef reads umami 7.3, salinity 5.7 and richness 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 17 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 8.1 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 3.2 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 0.8 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 6.0 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 7.3 · Salinity 5.7 · Richness 5.0 · Allium 3.8 · Nutty 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 3.1 · Sweetness 3.0 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Heat 1.5 · Floral 1.3 · Bitterness 0.7 · Sourness 0.6 · Earthy 0.6 · Fruity 0.5
What's in it (12)
- flank steak — 680 g
- salt — 5 g
- cornstarch — 89 g
- vegetable oil — 54 g
- ginger — 15 g
- garlic — 12 g
- soybean soy sauce — 158 g
- water — 177 g
- light-brown sugar — 101 g
- red chili flakes — 1 g
- scallions — 500 g
- dark sesame oil — 5 g
Time & effort: about 17 min (7 min active) · effort: involved
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 138.3 kcal, 8.8 g protein, 6.9 g fat, 10.9 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (7 steps)
- In a large bowl, toss the beef strips with the salt and 4 tablespoons of the cornstarch until every piece is evenly coated; let stand at room temperature 10 minutes while you prep the sauce.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, 1/2 cup of the water, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes in a bowl; set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup water to make a slurry; set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add half the beef in a single layer and sear undisturbed until deeply crisped and browned on the first side, 2-3 minutes, then flip and sear the second side, 1-2 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and repeat with the second batch of beef.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the ginger and garlic to the same pan and saute, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer, stirring, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes.
- Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pan along with the scallions; toss constantly until the beef is heated through and every piece is glazed, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, drizzle with the sesame oil, toss once more, and serve immediately over rice.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Bok Choy — Chinese-American
- One-Pan Chicken Fried Rice — Chinese-American
- Skillet Beef and Broccoli — Chinese-American
- Beef and Snow Pea Stir-Fry — Chinese-American
- Chicken Fried Rice — Chinese-American
Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.