PF Changs Mongolian Beef (Copycat recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is PF Chang's Mongolian sauce? ›

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.

Our recipe for Mongolian beef sauce includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce (as a replacement for dark soy sauce), chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Check the ingredient list to see precise amounts. Don't forget that you can scale the recipe up and down!

That's because restaurants use baking soda or cornstarch to tenderize the meat. It's a process called velveting beef. While the beef is tender (artificially so), it's lacking true beefy flavor. I gave up ordering Mongolian Beef years ago once I figured out how to make it better at home.

Mongolian beef vs Szechuan beef

Both of these beef dishes are popular Chinese takeout items. Mongolian beef a sweet and savory dish with lots of yellow and green onions. On the other hand, Szechuan beef is usually stir fried with more variety of vegetables and tastes savory and spicy with a hint of sweetness.

P.F. Chang's was conceived and developed by Paul Fleming (P.F.) and Philip Chiang (Chang) so both names were incorporated into the name of the concept.

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.

Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.

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.

From there, leave it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Then take the meat out of the container and rinse it ensuring that all—or most—of the baking soda is off the steak.

How to velvet beef for Mongolian beef? ›

Combine the sliced beef with the marinade ingredients (the neutral oil, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, cornstarch, water, and baking soda. Marinate for 1 hour. The beef should still be quite moist after it has marinated. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of water to it.

Mongolian beef is a Taiwan meal comprised of sliced beef, often flank steak, and onions. It's a basic stir fry of thin slices of beef cooked in a sauce of soy, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.

There is a saying that Mongolian beef (葱爆牛肉)is a Chinese-American creation. In fact, it is a real Chinese dish but the name is different. Stir-frying meat with scallion is a common cooking method is China. Besides beef, lamb is also commonly stir-fried with scallion.

Velveting is a Chinese method of marinating which keeps delicate meat and seafood moist and tender during cooking.

It's a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and various vitamins and minerals. By using lean cuts of beef and adding plenty of vegetables, you can make Mongolian beef a part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Spices. Szechuan tends to be differing types of hot such as “hot and sweet” or “hot and sour.” The hotness also has a different tingly sensation due to the Szechuan peppercorn used. Mongolian tends to be mild and rarely uses spices. It is also has a lot more actual sauce typically than Szechuan.

Mongolian food is heavy in meat but because they do not have lots of spices this food qualifies for light spicy food.

Spicy yet balanced, our Kung Pao Sauce is anything but ordinary thanks to bold ingredients like fermented chili bean sauce and chili flakes, which are complemented with sweet and tangy flavors from apple juice concentrate and vinegar.

A Korean-inspired, sweet & spicy hot sauce with garlic and red fermented chilies that is great for stir-fries, noodle dishes, fried rice or eggs, or as a dipping sauce for your favorite appetizers.