I got this recipe from another blog, and was intrigued as it was called “Mongolian Beef”, yet it had regular ingredients that I had in my kitchen. I’ve never made any Mongolian food before, so I was very tempted to try.

I must say I did make a couple of modifications. When I performed a taste-test while the sauce was simmering, I noticed it wasn’t salty enough. I’m not a fan of salt in the first place, but I felt the need to add some extra flavor. I looked at my collection of condiments and thought I’d experiment with some Hoisin Sauce. I usually stay away from adding Hoisin Sauce to any dish, as it’s pretty high in sodium (my bottle lists 530 mg in 1 tablespoon!). However, I wanted to add a bit of the saltines flavor in this recipe, so I gave it a shot.

For those unsure what Hoisin Sauce is, have you ever had the Vietnamese Pho noodles? If so, you’ve most likely dipped your meat in some dark brownish sauce. That would be Hoisin Sauce:



It is literally translated as “seafood sauce” in Cantonese.

One ingredient I *forgot* to include was sesame seeds! From the original blog entry, the inclusion of these seeds makes it very appealing.

I think I needed *way* too much water though! If you look at the pic, it looks very soupy on the side. Was not intentional at all!

• 300 g of top sirloin steak, sliced thin
• 2-3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of ginger, sliced
• button mushrooms, sliced (I used about 10-12)
• an onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• salt and sugar to taste
• 2 teaspoons of (light) soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons of corn starch
• chili sauce to your liking
• 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon of chicken broth powder
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 green onions, chopped

• Marinate the beef with 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of corn starch, and 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce.
• Place the remaining corn starch (2 teaspoons) in a small sauce bowl, and mix with 2 teaspoons of water. Set aside for later use, as we will be adding this mixture near the end to thicken the sauce.

1. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the garlic and ginger. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, add the beef and saute.
2. Once the beef is cooked to your liking, remove the beef, and place the bell pepper and mushrooms into the wok. Stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add about 3-4 teaspoons of water, the rest of the soy sauce (1 teaspoon), sugar (about 1 teaspoon), chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and the chicken broth powder. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes.
4. Return the beef back into the mixture. Grab the corn starch mixture that was prepared earlier on, and make sure to mix it again, as the corn starch may have settled to the bottom. Add the mixture into the wok, and stir. This will thicken the sauce.
5. Place contents onto a plate, and garnish with green onions