Learning something new—and enjoying Mongolian beef

Christian, the chef de cuisine at our small family compound, has taught me another lesson. I don’t like flank steak. Yes, I know that Asian cooking does wonderful, flavorful things with that cut, but I always find it tough and chewy. And I hate to have to work that hard for my dinner.

One night recently Christian made Mongolian beef. I’d had it at Pei Wei, that Asian fast-food chain, and thought it was okay. Christian’s was much better than just okay—and it was as tender as the finest cut of meat. The secret, he told me, was in a technique called velveting.

Velveting is apparently specific to Chinese cuisine, though I would think you could use it for other types of food. It involves coating the meat before cooking with cornstarch (sometimes a combination of egg white, corn starch, and sherry or rice vinegar is used). This helps the meat retain moisture and prevents muscle fibers from “seizing up” during cooking. The result is tender meat with a velvety texture.

Here’s the recipe Christian used:

Mongolian beef

1 lb. flank teak

¼ c. cornstarch

¼ c. canola oil

2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/3 c. light soy sauce

1/3 c. water

½ c. dark brown sugar

4 scallions, green part only, chopped into ½ pieces

Directions:

Slice the beef against the grain (the grain goes the length of the piece of meat) into thin slices, about a quarter inch. Coat with cornstarch, put in a plastic bag.  Shake it to make sure each piece of meat is thoroughly coated. Let sit briefly.

On medium high, heat canola oil in skillet. Shake any excess cornstarch off the meat and cook in a single layer, about a minute on each side. To avoid crowding the skillet, cook the meat in batches so you get a good sear. A crowded skillet steams meat rather than searing it, and you want that sear for flavor.

Remove meat from skillet and add ginger and garlic. Sauté briefly until aroma rises from the pan. Do not scorch. Add soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Sir and bring to a boil.

Return the meat to the skillet and cook about half a minute while the sauce thickens. If the sauce doesn’t thicken to your taste, mix 1 Tbsp. cornstarch thoroughly into 1 tbsp. cold water and add to skillet.

Cook for another half minutes, scatter green onion pieces over the dish. and serve immediately. Rice makes a good accompaniment.

Another meat I don’t like: dry chicken. I often avoid chicken breast unless served with a plentiful sauce, because I find it dry and chewy. Now I’m wondering if you couldn’t velvet chicken pieces before gentle poaching, for instance. And I remember Pei Wei used to serve scallops in a sauce similar to the Mongolian beef sauce. That, too, would be worth a try.