Mongolian beef facts for kids
A plate of Mongolian beef with noodles and rice
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| Course | Main course |
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| Place of origin | Taiwan |
| Region or state | Taiwan, United States of America |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Flank steak, brown sauce (hoisin, soy), vegetables (usually broccoli), rice or rice noodles |
| Mongolian beef | |||||||
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| Chinese | 蒙古牛肉 | ||||||
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Mongolian beef is a yummy dish with sliced beef, often a cut called flank steak. This is a thin, flat piece of meat from the cow's belly. It usually comes with onions and green onions, also known as scallions.
This dish is usually not spicy. You can eat it with steamed rice or crispy fried noodles. It's a very popular meal in American Chinese restaurants. Even though it's called "Mongolian beef," it actually has nothing to do with food from Mongolia.
What is Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian beef is a popular meal made with thin slices of beef. The beef is often cooked quickly in a hot pan. It gets coated in a special brown sauce. This sauce is usually sweet and a little salty. It often has ingredients like hoisin sauce and soy sauce.
The dish often includes fresh vegetables. Broccoli is a common vegetable found in Mongolian beef. Sometimes, other veggies are added too. It's usually served hot. You can enjoy it as a main course for lunch or dinner.
How It's Served
In many places, especially in the United States, Mongolian beef comes with crispy fried cellophane noodles. These noodles are very thin and become crunchy when cooked. In other places, it's served over soft, steamed rice. Both ways are delicious!
Not from Mongolia!
It might sound like it's from Mongolia, but Mongolian beef actually started in Taiwan. It became popular in restaurants there that were called "Mongolian barbecue" places. These restaurants were inspired by the idea of cooking meat on a large, round grill.
So, the way Mongolian beef is made and the ingredients used are from Chinese cooking. They are not from traditional Mongolian food. It's a bit like how "French fries" are not actually from France!
Mongolian Lamb
There is a similar dish called Mongolian lamb. This version uses lamb meat instead of beef. It is prepared in much the same way. It also uses the same tasty sauces and vegetables.
