Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Mongolian Beef
330 kcal a serving, against 622 for the traditional version. That is 292 kcal off, or 47%, with 35.1g of protein. Serves 4. 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Thin strips of flank steak tossed in a heavy blanket of cornflour, then plunged into a wok full of hot oil until shatteringly crisp. The beef is then coated in a thick, boiling syrup made mostly of dark brown sugar and soy sauce, finished with spring onions.
What changed, and what each change costs
150g of hot frying oil down to 15g for a quick pan-fry
Deep-frying thin strips of beef turns them into crispy sponges that soak up fat. A quick sear in a hot frying pan keeps the lean skirt steak tender and removes a massive amount of fat.
What it costs you. You lose the famous brittle crunch. The meat is soft and velveted rather than crispy.
120g of brown sugar down to 30g
The takeaway standard relies on a ridiculous amount of sugar to create a thick, glossy syrup. Slashing it lets the punchy garlic and salty soy sauce actually taste of something other than caramel.
What it costs you. So: a savoury glaze. A sticky candy shell was never on the table once the fat came out. The sauce won't coat the back of a spoon in the same heavy way.
80g of cornflour down to 15g
You only need a tiny bit of starch to velvet the beef and thicken the final sauce. The massive dredging step is gone.
What it costs you. The strips of beef look a bit smaller and flatter without their big starchy jackets.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 622 | 330 |
| Protein | 35.1g | 35.1g |
| Fat | 30.2g | 13.4g |
| Saturated fat | 6.1g | 4.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 52.4g | 16.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.6g | 10.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans.
The method is in the book
This is a sharp, savoury dish that actually tastes of beef rather than burnt sugar and frying oil. You're giving up the incredible crunch of the takeaway version, and there's no point pretending otherwise. That texture relies entirely on deep-frying a heavy batter. In exchange, you get a fast, punchy dinner that takes 15 minutes to cook and leaves you feeling completely normal afterwards. The trade is absolutely worth making when you want massive flavour without needing a nap.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback