Copycat PF Chang's Mongolian Beef tastes just like PF Chang's version, but is made much healthier, and cheaper, at home!
A couple weeks ago during girl’s weekend, my Mom and I decided to pop into PF Changs for a delectable dinner out.
Right away we agreed to split an entree, as they’re usually plenty big enough for two. One order of my Mom’s favorite Chinese dish of all time – Mongolian Beef – comin’ right up!
The first bite was simply sensational. The thinly sliced beef melted in our mouths, while the consistency and taste of the subtly-sweet sauce was spot on.
It was nearly, dare I say, perfect.
Only nearly perfect though, because the teeny-tiny plate sitting on our table was hardly enough for one, AND it was overflowing with 5 times as many green onions as pieces of beef!
“Where’s the BEEF?!” we wanted to shout!
“I’m going to write a letter.” my Mom declared, in between bites of delectable but hard-to-find meat unearthed from an endless supply of green onions.
My Mom’s a letter writer. If you mess with her, she will totally tell someone about it.
“Mom, don’t write a letter.” I tried to reason with her. “This is clearly a travesty, but nobody at PFC’s really cares what we think,” knowing she’d write one anyways.
Which, obviously, she did. And, obviously, got a $25 gift certificate in the mail because of it!! “Uh-HUH!” she exclaimed when she ripped open the letter.
This recipe’s for you, Mom.
May you never have to write another Mongolian Beef related letter ever again.
Why buy overpriced, undersized, nearly non-existent Mongolian Beef (chicken, or salmon!) at a restaurant, when you can easily make it at home?!
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2-1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed then cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
- 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled then grated or finely minced
- 1/2 cup gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not gluten free
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 green onions, cut into thirds
- cooked rice, for serving
Directions
- Toss the flank steak with cornstarch in a plastic bag until all the pieces are coated. Empty the beef into a colander then shake off excess cornstarch. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add asparagus then saute for 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger then saute until extremely fragrant, 30 seconds, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add Tamari, water and brown sugar then turn heat down to medium and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl then set aside.
- Heat remaining 1-1/2 Tablespoons oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring every so often, until it is just barely cooked. Some pink still showing is ok. Add the sauce with asparagus back into the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, then simmer until sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Stir in green onions then serve over cooked rice.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I’m a total letter-writer, so I completely get your mom here!!!
OCD? I can’t leave the house if every bed isn’t made perfectly (I’m talking bounce a dime off the thing) and all dishes are in the dishwasher perfectly stacked. I have actually stood at the dishwasher after my husband has loaded the dishwasher while my husband watches in stunned silence and completely rearrange everything. Weirdo.
my friend is a let’s-hash-my-complaints-out-neeeowww! type. we all tell her to give us warning so we can sneak away before the drama unfolds. LOL.
I am TOTALLY the same way. I will, politely, point out that something isn’t up to standard…and if it doesn’t get resolved in person, then I will write or call corporate on it. It’s gotten me and my friends free movie tickets, gift cards to Olive Garden and Applebees and lots of apologies. I feel kinda bad sometimes, but sometimes, things just need to happen the right way. I don’t expect EXCELLENT service constantly, but do at least expect to have the standard level of service.
Funny! I don’t know why your car isn’t clean. Maybe you’re not in it enough? I go nuts if my suburban is cluttered and messy. My kids know the drill–take your stuff with you or mom will be unhappy! ;)
boys are so cute when they try to help!
your mom reminds me of my sister in regards to letter writing or e-mailing complaints……..or even if she’s just seeking a product she can’t find, AND, she always gets some sort of freebie out of it! me….i get NADA, nuttin, zip! and men and stashing things where they DO NOT belong! the ex-husband, for whatever reason, unbeknownst to me, stashed one of those big plastic veggie trays w/a lid (you know, like if you bought a pre made veggie platter from HyVee) in the oven. yep…you see it coming…i fired up the oven to bake something, there’s an odd burning smell, it intensifies, i whip the oven door open and there is a blazin fire going on! the ex completly panics & runs in circles, i snatch the baking soda out of the cupboard, shake a pile in my hand and blow it into the oven. hell-of-a-mess!!!! i was not happy! he had the nerve to blame me for not checking the oven first. key word here….EX HUSBAND! =)
omg I am dying over these!
I am still giggling over this post.
I’m a total weirdo–I cannot handle if something in front of me isn’t visually appealing. Like, if a magazine is facedown instead of faceup, it must be fixed before I can remotely concentrate on anything. And if the TV remotes aren’t fanned out in a perfect arc on the ottoman, I will be fanning them until they are.
HAHAHA ME TOO!
My mom totally does the same thing with the letter writing!! I’m so glad I’m not the only one with this lol. This recipe looks really delicious and I bet rivaled PF Changs but much much healthier ;)
Oh my gosh – I am the same way about the car versus the house. I had a fight with my husband last night about keeping the house super clean, and he silently led me out to my mess of a car. I think it is because our car is totally OUR OWN and belongs to no one else???
HAHAHA, this made me laugh so hard.
Oooh, your recipe looks awesome! And, I’m totally with your mom – writing letters (versus complaining in person) totally works. It’s more polite, avoids a scene, and gets the point across, because seriously, nobody writes letters anymore!
My quirks? I switch toilet paper rolls so they are the “right” way (lol) and I am a bit ocd about making sure the stove, oven and curling/straightening irons are turned off/unplugged. A roomie once left the oven on for like, 18 hours and I think I almost had a heart attack!
My mom is TOTALLY a letter writer too! I guess it’s better than complaining when i’m in her presence!
The only thing that might be mildly weird is that I always put the toilet lid down after I’m done using it. When people leave it up at my house, it drives me nuts. It’s just a gross thing to look at!
same! i hate when people leave the toilet lid up! i think it’s totally gross! logically why can’t people put the lid down when I already have it down at my house. and i always put it it down at others.
i agree!
I have to have the toilet seat down, too! Not only because I think it’s gross to leave it up, but if I do, my blind cat will fall in when he tries to perch himself on top of it!
Ha! The cupboard/dishwasher play-by-play = hysterical! Can’t wait to try this dish!
this post literally had me laughing out loud. My mom is a letter writer too, totally.
At least your hubby puts it in the dishwasher! Mine walks past the dishwasher that I left wide open for him to put his dish in and instead puts it in the sink! Lol. Men.
Your takeout Fake out looks delish. My mom is a “caller,” so don’t feel bad, haha.
My husband does the same thing. I dont understand. The dishwasher is there to hide dirty dishes and then to wash said dirty dishes.