Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Why is Mongolian beef chewy? ›

Like many stir fry dishes, it is important to thinly slice the meat, which means stir-frying will obviously overcook the meat, which in turn will make it tough and chewy.

Making the Mongolian Beef Sauce

Whisk the Mongolian Beef Sauce ingredients together consisting of soy sauce, water, brown sugar, Asian sweet chili sauce, rice wine, hoisin, pepper, sriracha and cornstarch.

In conclusion, Mongolian beef can be a healthy and nutritious dish when prepared with the right ingredients and cooking methods. It's a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and various vitamins and minerals.

Despite its name, the dish has nothing to do with Mongolian cuisine. Mongolian beef is among the meat dishes developed in Taiwan where Mongolian barbecue restaurants first appeared. Thus, none of the ingredients or the preparation methods are drawn from traditional Mongolian cuisine but rather from Chinese cuisine.

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

What is velveting? Velveting is a Chinese method of marinating which keeps delicate meat and seafood moist and tender during cooking. The velveting technique is very easy and gives amazing results.

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.

Mongolian Beef can be described as having a savory soy-based sauce with scallions as its main aromatic. Szechuan Beef has a similar soy sauce-based profile but with the addition of a spicy element, such as fresh or dried chilis and/or Sichuan peppercorns for a numbing sensation.

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.

Is there another name for Mongolian beef? ›

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef (Previously: Mongolian Beef)

Sliced beef marinated in soy and then stir-fried with peppers and onions.

That's because as a culture of nomadic herders, they eat what's at hand – and that's whatever their herd supplies. Mongolians have eaten this way for centuries. Mutton (sheep), goat, and beef are their main source of meat and are often refer to red foods.

The beef is super tender and it's coated in a delicious sweet & savory sauce – trust me, you're going to love this one! If you're a fan of Mongolian Beef, you'll never need to order takeout again after trying this recipe!

Hunan beef also packs in some heat in the form of chili peppers, but it's not a numbing heat whatsoever and I like to think of it as the milder cousin to Szeuchuan beef. What's the difference between Hunan beef vs Mongolian beef? Another favorite beef recipe of mine, Mongolian beef is much sweeter than Hunan beef.

You're not likely to find this kind of "Mongolian beef" in either Mongolia or China, but you will see a very similar dish, 葱爆牛肉 (cung1 baau3 ngau4 juk6), or beef stir fry with green onions, in China.

The reason lies in the fat and protein content of the meat and how it transforms during the cooking process. When exposed to too much heat, the fat within the muscles gets rendered out completely, ridding the steak of the moisture that makes it tender.

You Undercooked The Steak

Meat needs sufficient time and temperature to transform the collagen into gelatin. If removed from the heat too soon, the connective tissue will remain intact. The steak may appear juicier when rare, but can have a chewy, sinewy texture.

Over-kneading has a tendency to result in chewy bread. Here's how to tell if you've kneaded enough. Another possibility—you used bread flour when all-purpose flour would do. If a recipe with bread flour turned out chewier than you like, try it with all-purpose and knead only as much as the recipe directs.

Cut Thin Slices

The thinner the beef, the more tender it will taste and the less chewy it will be. Thicker strips require longer cooking times, which usually means the outside is overcooked by the time the inside is cooked. It's easier to accidentally overcook a thicker strip of beef than a thinner one.