Donna Walsifer
slow-cooker night
My local Foodtown had flank steak on special this week for $7.99/lb. I couldn’t resist picking up a package for supper. While I have several good flank steak recipes in my file, a food blogger is always on the lookout for the next, best recipe.
With that in mind, I searched the web for something unique. I came across the website for Taste of Home. In the late 90’s I was given a subscription to this magazine. The magazine uses recipes submitted by home cooks. Once submitted, the Taste of Home test kitchen staff works through each recipe and makes adjustments to ingredients, proportions, to name a few, to ensure consistency with results. Therefore, I felt confident in preparing “Slow-Cooker Mongolian Beef.”
With that in mind, I searched the web for something unique. I came across the website for Taste of Home. In the late 90’s I was given a subscription to this magazine. The magazine uses recipes submitted by home cooks. Once submitted, the Taste of Home test kitchen staff works through each recipe and makes adjustments to ingredients, proportions, to name a few, to ensure consistency with results. Therefore, I felt confident in preparing “Slow-Cooker Mongolian Beef.”
For the recipe you’ll need reduced sodium chicken broth, reduced sodium soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fresh gingerroot, sesame oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, flank steak, cornstarch, water, hot cooked rice, green onions and sesame seeds, which are optional.
The slow cooker is set to low with a suggested cooking time of 4-5 hours. I thinly sliced the meat across the grain to yield a more tender bite. I found four hours was perfect. The meat was tender and just starting to fall apart. The accompanying sauce was quite tasty and had several layers of flavor. The hoisin sauce, a fermented soybean paste, added a bit of pungency and umami flavor, different from a stir-fry sauce. I served the beef over brown rice (trying to be healthy) and poured some extra sauce on top for the rice to soak up. The sesame oil offered a nutty flavor and the soy sauce a hint of bitterness, but the flavors were well balance and gave the dish a unique taste. My husband and I enjoyed this meal. This is a great do ahead, family meal.
The slow cooker is set to low with a suggested cooking time of 4-5 hours. I thinly sliced the meat across the grain to yield a more tender bite. I found four hours was perfect. The meat was tender and just starting to fall apart. The accompanying sauce was quite tasty and had several layers of flavor. The hoisin sauce, a fermented soybean paste, added a bit of pungency and umami flavor, different from a stir-fry sauce. I served the beef over brown rice (trying to be healthy) and poured some extra sauce on top for the rice to soak up. The sesame oil offered a nutty flavor and the soy sauce a hint of bitterness, but the flavors were well balance and gave the dish a unique taste. My husband and I enjoyed this meal. This is a great do ahead, family meal.
Slow-Cooker Mongolian Beef
From Taste of Home Magazine/Website
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4-1/2 hours
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound beef flank steak, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 cups hot cooked rice
5 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sesame seeds, optional
Directions
From Taste of Home Magazine/Website
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4-1/2 hours
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound beef flank steak, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 cups hot cooked rice
5 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sesame seeds, optional
Directions
- In a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine first 8 ingredients. Add beef and toss to coat. Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours, until meat is tender.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into beef. Cook, covered, on high until sauce is thickened, 15-30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with green onions and, if desired, sesame seeds.