Pressure Cooker Weeknight Mongolian Beef

DifficultyIntermediate

Mongolian Beef is actually a dish from Taiwan and is often served in Canadian-style Chinese restaurants. Usually made with Flank Steak, this recipe with Beef Rib Finger Meat makes a wonderful and flavourful substitute. Cooking the beef in a pressure cooker means this braise cooks in a fraction of the time. You could also serve this saucy beef over rice noodles, cellophane noodles or ramen noodles instead of rice.

ShareTweetSaveShare
Yields4 Servings
Prep Time15 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr
  1½ lb (750 g) Beef Rib Finger Meat
  2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, divided
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  1 tbsp (15 mL) minced gingerroot
  6 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
  ½ cup (125 mL) soy sauce
  ⅓ cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar
  1 tbsp (15 mL) EACH sesame oil and Asian chili sauce, such as sambal oelek or sriracha
  4 tsp (20 mL) cornstarch
  Hot cooked rice
1

1. Trim excess fat from the meat to your taste. Starting at the thicker end of each piece of meat, make a cut in between the meat and the fibrous silverskin, lifting the fat and silverskin away from the meat while you trim along the strip of meat. (Tip: Grip the silverskin with a paper towel to prevent slipping.). Discard the trim. Cut meat crosswise into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces.

2. Preheat electric pressure cooker on the sear/sauté function.

3. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in pressure cooker pot. Brown beef in batches, turning and adding remaining oil as needed, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add garlic, gingerroot and half the green onions to pot. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until starting to soften. Return beef to the pot with any accumulated juices. Stir in ½ cup (125 mL) water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chili sauce.

5. Seal the pressure cooker lid and make sure the vent is closed. Set the pressure to HIGH and set time for 20 minutes. When the timer beeps, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.

6. Skim fat from surface of sauce; discard. Combine cornstarch with 4 tsp (20 mL) cold water in a small bowl. Set pressure cooker on the sear/sauté function; bring sauce to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture; return to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and glossy.

7. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with remaining green onions.

Tip
2

The fibrous silverskin on finger meat is tough. Removing it before cooking makes the meat much more tender.

Ingredients

  1½ lb (750 g) Beef Rib Finger Meat
  2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, divided
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  1 tbsp (15 mL) minced gingerroot
  6 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
  ½ cup (125 mL) soy sauce
  ⅓ cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar
  1 tbsp (15 mL) EACH sesame oil and Asian chili sauce, such as sambal oelek or sriracha
  4 tsp (20 mL) cornstarch
  Hot cooked rice

Directions

1

1. Trim excess fat from the meat to your taste. Starting at the thicker end of each piece of meat, make a cut in between the meat and the fibrous silverskin, lifting the fat and silverskin away from the meat while you trim along the strip of meat. (Tip: Grip the silverskin with a paper towel to prevent slipping.). Discard the trim. Cut meat crosswise into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces.

2. Preheat electric pressure cooker on the sear/sauté function.

3. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in pressure cooker pot. Brown beef in batches, turning and adding remaining oil as needed, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add garlic, gingerroot and half the green onions to pot. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until starting to soften. Return beef to the pot with any accumulated juices. Stir in ½ cup (125 mL) water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chili sauce.

5. Seal the pressure cooker lid and make sure the vent is closed. Set the pressure to HIGH and set time for 20 minutes. When the timer beeps, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.

6. Skim fat from surface of sauce; discard. Combine cornstarch with 4 tsp (20 mL) cold water in a small bowl. Set pressure cooker on the sear/sauté function; bring sauce to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture; return to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and glossy.

7. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with remaining green onions.

Tip
2

The fibrous silverskin on finger meat is tough. Removing it before cooking makes the meat much more tender.

Pressure Cooker Weeknight Mongolian Beef