Mongolian Beef

½ pound flank steak, thinly sliced

1 bunch (1.3 ounces) bean thread noodles or dry rice noodle

2 slices ginger, julienne

6-8 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths

4 cups oil for frying

Marinade

1½ teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg white

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon oil

Sauce (see note)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

¼ cup chicken broth

Put beef slices into a mixing bowl. Add rice wine, salt, egg white, baking soda and oil and mix well. Let it set for 10 minutes.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch and broth; set aside.

In a deep pot, heat 4 cups oil over medium-high heat; the oil should be very hot, almost at the smoking point. Add noodles and cook until they puff up. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain well then place on a large serving platter.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok and return heat to medium-high. Add ginger, green onions and beef and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add sauce, mix well and cook for another 1½ minutes or until sauce thickens. Pour the beef over fried bean thread noodles to serve.

Serves three.

Cook’s note: You can substitute Ying’s Kitchen Korean Barbecue Sauce for the homemade sauce.

Ying Stoller, Ying’s Kitchen