Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup approximately plus 2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• ½ cup less sodium soy sauce
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ pounds beef shaved steak
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 scallions trimmed and thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• Hot cooked brown or white rice to serve
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan heat 2 teaspoons of the oil. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for 30 seconds, then add the soy sauce and brown sugar and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently over medium heat. Allow it to simmer and reduce a bit, until it gets a glazey consistency, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toss the shaved steak in a mixing bowl with the cornstarch until evenly distributed.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Line a large plate with paper towels. Sauté the beef in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, and flipping it as it browns, about 2 minutes in all. Use tongs to remove the beef when it is browned, transferring it to the paper towels. Repeat until all of the beef is browned, adding more oil as needed (make sure the oil has a chance to get hot before you add the next batch of beef so it browns up nicely).
4. Return the large skillet to medium high heat. Add all of the beef back to the pan, along with the sauce and scallions. Stir for about 3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glazes all of the meat evenly. Serve over the rice and top with scallions and sesame seeds.