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P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef with dark sauce and green onions on a white plate
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P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

A copycat of P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef, tested until it matched what I got at the restaurant. This version uses a two-step meat preparation process: an alkaline soy marinade with baking soda for tenderizing, followed by egg white velveting with potato starch to keep the beef juicy during high-heat cooking. The beef gets passed through 350°F oil before a quick two-minute finishing stir-fry in the dark sauce. Adapted for a home kitchen wok or large skillet.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese-American
Keyword flank steak stir fry, mongolian beef, mongolian beef recipe, pf changs, pf changs dark sauce, pf changs mongolian beef
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 500kcal
Author Jason Farmer

Equipment

Ingredients

Dark Sauce

Alkaline Soy Marinade

Flank Steak

  • 12 oz flank steak sliced against the grain into ⅛-inch pieces

Egg White Velveting

Passing Through the Oil

  • neutral oil vegetable canola or peanut (enough to submerge beef)

Final Stir-Fry

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Dark Sauce

  • Add ¼ cup of water, ½ teaspoon of Minor's Original Chicken Base, and ¼ cup of white sugar to a small saucepan.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat and whisk until the sugar and chicken base are fully dissolved.
  • Remove from heat. Add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of mushroom dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, and 2 tablespoons of Michiu or Shaoxing rice cooking wine. Whisk until incorporated.
  • Let the sauce cool. This can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Prepare and Slice the Flank Steak

  • Identify the long muscle fibers running along the surface of the flank steak. Cut with the grain into 1.5-inch sections.
  • Turn each section perpendicular to you. Angle your knife at about 30-40 degrees and slice against the grain into pieces about ⅛ inch thick. If the steak is difficult to slice thinly, freeze it for 20-30 minutes first.

Brine the Beef

  • Combine 1 cup of water with ½ teaspoon of baking soda and stir until dissolved. Add ⅓ cup of soy sauce and stir to incorporate.
  • Submerge the sliced flank steak in the alkaline soy marinade. A full 24 hours is the target, and the longer you go, the more tender and flavorful the beef gets. Keep it refrigerated the entire time.

Velvet the Beef

  • Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Drying the meat helps the velveting batter adhere properly.
  • Add ½ egg white and ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper to the beef. Stir until evenly coated. Add 1 tablespoon of potato starch and gently massage it into the slices until all the beef is covered.
  • Add ½ teaspoon of neutral oil and stir to distribute. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight before cooking.

Pass Through the Oil

  • Heat neutral frying oil to 350°F (175°C) in a Dutch oven or deep pot.
  • Working in batches, add the velveted beef slices and immediately agitate so they don't clump together. Fry for 60-90 seconds, until the edges are browned but the centers remain tender.
  • Remove the beef to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Set aside until ready for the final stir-fry.

Final Stir-Fry

  • Heat 1 teaspoon of neutral oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoon of reconstituted dehydrated garlic and fry for 10-15 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
  • Add ¼ cup of the prepared dark sauce and 1 tablespoon of white sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil. Let the sauce reduce and thicken slightly, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the fried flank steak and toss in the sauce for 30-60 seconds, allowing the sauce to coat the beef and reduce further.
  • Add ½ teaspoon of sesame oil and 1-2 ounces of green onion tops cut into 2-inch pieces. Toss everything together for 15-20 seconds, then remove from heat and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Soy Sauce: Lee Kum Kee low-sodium soy sauce (green bottle) got me closest. Kikkoman works just as well. Lee Kum Kee has a saltier, more layered flavor. Kikkoman is slightly sweeter and more straightforward. Either works for both the marinade and the dark sauce.
Oyster Sauce: Lee Kum Kee Panda brand (green bottle, gluten-free) is what I use here. Lee Kum Kee's premium oyster sauce has a richer flavor and is the recommended upgrade.
Chicken Base: Minor's Original Chicken Base, a concentrated paste that comes in a tub, made the richest sauce in my testing. If you can't find it, Knorr or Lee Kum Kee chicken broth powder are the closest substitutes..
Rice Wine: Michiu, a Cantonese/Taiwanese rice cooking wine, is what I use. Shaoxing wine is interchangeable. Avoid Western "cooking wines" from the vinegar aisle, which contain added salt and preservatives.
Baking Soda Method: The baking soda is dissolved in water to create an alkaline brine, not rubbed directly on the meat. This method provides the same tenderizing effect without the off-flavors some people experience with direct application.
Starch Choice: Potato starch and cornstarch produce indistinguishable results in the velveting. Egg white alone (no starch) produces considerably tougher meat. Use whichever starch you have available.
Dehydrated Garlic: Reconstitute dehydrated minced garlic by covering with hot water for 20-30 minutes, then drain well. It handles high heat better than fresh garlic and delivers a smoother, more even flavor. Store reconstituted garlic in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Storage: The dark sauce stores covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Finished Mongolian beef stores in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in a wok or skillet over high heat to re-crisp the edges.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal