So Many Dishes

No, I’m not referring to how long it’s been since I last posted a recipe. We are in the summer cooking doldrums: the heat index has been over 100 degrees every day this week, with no end in sight. My goal, these days, is to get dinner on the table quickly, generating no more heat index the kitchen than absolutely necessary.

As a result, I’ve been cooking familiar recipes that I can put together almost without thinking and have already blogged, or dishes for which I don’t have a recipe. This includes things like the burritos pictured above, or main dish salads that I’ve improvised. Everything has been tasty, but not exactly blog worthy.

Last night’s dinner, however, was definitely one to share. I was leafing through the yearly planners we use to record what we’ve cooked, and spotted an entry for Mongolian beef. In addition to the notations about the changes I made to the recipe, I’d also written, “yummy, do again soon.” The only problem is that I wrote that more than two years ago! It’s another of the recipes that Ken refers to as having dropped off the radar.

I tend not to share stir fry recipes because I often consider stir fry meals like a musical improvisation. You take a basic theme and riff on it. And Mongolian beef isn’t Mongolian. The dish originated in Taiwan in the 1950s, with no similarity to traditional Mongolian cooking. But it’s the sauce that makes this dish and, even though I haven’t made it in a long time, it’s one of my favorite stir fries.

Given how high beef prices have gone, this was a great way to stretch a small piece of steak. I had bought a top sirloin steak for the steak and blue cheese salads I made last weekend, but froze half of it. I added extra veggies, and we ended up with enough left over for lunch today. Traditionally, Mongolian beef includes only onions or scallions, with the occasional addition of a bell pepper. I added the pepper plus some sliced celery and mushrooms. I can’t imagine making it again without both additions. The sauce calls for sambal oolek, the chili-based paste found in cuisines of Singapore and Malaysia. I used the Thai chili-garlic sauce that I had in the fridge, a perfect substitute that added just the right amount of heat. If you don’t like heat, leave it out.

This started out as a Cooking Light recipe, but what I’ve included is my version.

Mongolian Beef

• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sambal oolek or chili-garlic sauce, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 stalks celery, sliced on the bias
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Combine soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sherry, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sambal oolek in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms, and stir fry for 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

Add remaining oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, and beef, and sauté 2 minutes or until beef is just browned. Add scallions and return vegetables to the pan. Stir fry one minute, then add soy sauce mixture and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Serve over rice.

Happy eating!