Mongolian Beef: P.F. Changs Imitation

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." - Charles Caleb Colton

I love P.F. Changs. Not only do they make high quality chinese food, but they also have a gluten-free menu! One thing that isn't on their gluten-free menu is their Mongolian Beef, and I miss it! Here is my best imitation, adapted from this recipe. Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

1 lb flank steak
1 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tsp cornstarch
1 large yellow onion (note: P.F. Changs uses green onion, but I prefer yellow for this recipe. If you want it more like P.F. Changs, use 3 green onions chopped)

Directions:

Step 1: Cut flank steak into bite sized pieces. In a medium sized bowl, mix 1/4 cup cornstarch and 2 tbsp soy sauce. Toss the flank steak in the mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Step 2: In a large skillet or wok, mix 2 tablespoons canola oil, ginger, garlic, water, brown sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, and 1/2 cup soy sauce. Heat on high for 3 minutes until sauce begins to caramelize, then reduce heat to simmer. 

Step 3:  In a small skillet or wok, heat 1 cup canola oil on medium high heat. Add flank steak to the oil (don't pour!) using a straining spoon or fork, whatever works best to transfer the beef without dumping in the extra cornstarch mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Step 4: Remove the steak from the oil and transfer to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet, and add onion to the oil. Cook covered for 5 minutes. 

Step 5: Transfer the beef and onion to the sauce mixture in the large skillet. Cook on medium/high heat for 4-5 minutes. Served best over jasmine rice!

Serves 2-3.