Mongolian Hot Pot

breezermom's Note:

I am posting this recipe because it was in a cookbook I received from NE Lady in the cookbook swap March 2009. I was intrigued by the picture in the cookbook; however, mine didn't turn out looking like the picture! I had way too many noodles and too little broth. The cookbook, "Soups for Any Body" states that it is a mix between a soup and a stew. Mine was pretty thick, so I would add more beef stock to the recipe. I'd also serve more soy sauce with each serving, and allow each diner to add their hot pepper oil. If you let your meat marinate while you chop the vegetables, it gets on the table pretty quickly! I did change it a little...I increased the meat by 4 oz.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1/4 cup sherry wine or 1/4 cup white grape juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons gingerroot, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12 ounces flank steaks or 12 ounces sirloin steaks, very thinly sliced across the grain and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1 lb bok choy, thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 1/2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, wiped, stems removed, and thinly sliced
• 4 large scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 4 cups beef stock (I would use more...at least a cup more)
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 4 ounces soba noodles
• chinese hot pepper oil, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the sherry, ginger, soy sauce, 1 tbsp oil, brown sugar, corn starch, garlic, red pepper flakes, and beef in a resealable plastic bag and seal. Turn several times to coat and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
2. Heat a large wok or pot over high heat. Add 1 tsp oil. Lift the beef from the marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade. Quickly stir-fry the beef until lightly browned on both sides, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the bok choy, shitakes, scallions, and carrots for 1-2 minutes. Add the reserved marinade, stock, water, and hoison sauce. Bring to a boil. Stir in the noodles and simmer until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Return the beef to the wok or pot, cooking just long enough for the beef to heat through. Finish with a few drops of Chinese hot pepper oil. Do not let it sit before serving, or the noodles with absorb the liquid and swell!

Reviews

[Deantini]

Delish! I made a few changes; used white wine instead of sherry wine and sesame oil instead of peanut oil. The recipe does not state when to add the garlic so I assumed that I should add it to the marinade. Next time I will add 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce as 1/3 cup makes the dish quite sweet. I also added an extra 1/4 cup of soy sauce which balanced out the sweeetness a bit. I cooked the noodles seperately. It was liked by both adults and kids and it will definitely go in the 'repeat' folder. We added extra red pepper flakes at the table. Made for 123 tag.

[DrGaellon]

This was delicious, and something I will want to make often! I substituted 1 lb ground beef for the sliced beef, as I had it on hand. It needed more oomph, so I upped the soy sauce, and added some mirin (sweet rice wine) and rice wine vinegar to give it a bit of sweet-and-sour taste. I couldn't find my package of soba, so I used Italian linguine rigate (flat narrow noodles with ridges) that I had in the house.
Added 8/23/10: Made it again, this time with flank steak and real soba. The soba were cooked in 3 minutes (maybe I used a thinner kind than the OP). I added 1/4 c mirin and 1/4 c regular sake to the marinade, and I added 1/4 c rice wine vinegar to the broth with the hoisin. The broth was still a little flat; I think next time, I will add more vinegar and more hoisin.

[Cilantro in Canada]

This is a unique but very good blend of flavours. The kids were not keen on it but my husband and I really enjoyed it. The only changes I made was to use cooked udon noodles and spinach in place of the bok choy. Thanks for the recipe.