Beef , Griddle , soy sauce , brown sugar
Best for: The takeout favorite, crisped properly at home.
Mongolian beef — despite the name, a Chinese-restaurant classic from Taiwan by way of American menus — is all about contrast: flank steak with genuinely crisp edges against a dark, sweet soy glaze and a pile of barely wilted scallions. A flat griddle on the grill is the ideal tool: wide, ripping hot, and big enough to sear without crowding.
Griddle: Flat-top griddle or large cast-iron griddle over direct high heat on the grill; 500°F. Equipment: Griddle, wide spatula, tongs.
Ingredients
Marinate: 15 minutes. Total: 40 minutes.
Beef and marinade
- 1 1/2 lb flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Glaze and finish
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Directions
Toss the beef with the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine and marinate for 15 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch until every slice is lightly coated — this coating is what crisps.
Whisk the brown sugar, soy sauce, and water into the glaze. Heat the griddle on the grill to 500°F until just smoking.
Add 2 tablespoons of the neutral oil and lay the beef out in a single layer. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip and sear for 1–2 minutes more, until crisp-edged and browned. Work in two batches if the griddle is crowded.
Push the beef to the cooler edge. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the garlic, and the ginger and stir for 20 seconds.
Pour in the glaze and toss everything together for about 1 minute, until the sauce thickens and lacquers the beef.
Fold in the scallions and sesame oil, let the scallions wilt for 15 seconds, and serve at once over rice.
Grilling tip: The cornstarch coat plus an uncrowded griddle is the entire secret — crowd the beef and it steams gray instead of crisping.
