Mongolian Lamb
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Tenderise & marinating
2 hrs
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Servings
4 - 5
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Calories
279 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Mongolian Lamb
Description
Mongolian Lamb features lamb slices tenderized using baking soda and marinated with soy sauce and Chinese cooking wine. The marinade softens the meat, especially if using economical cuts, making them suitable for quick stir-frying. The sauce blends light and dark soy sauces with hoisin, sambal oelek chili paste, Chinese five-spice, and sesame oil, creating a complex mixture of sweet, savory, and mildly spicy flavors. The stir-fry process involves briefly cooking onions and garlic for aroma before browning the marinated lamb and quickly simmering with sauce and green onions to create a thick, glossy coating.
The dish has tender pieces of lamb with some golden-browned edges, complemented by the punchy sauce and fragrant green onions. Its preparation can be adjusted for different lamb cuts by varying marinade times to ensure tenderness, with tender cuts needing less marinating. This flexibility makes the dish accessible while maintaining a satisfying texture and flavor.
Mongolian Lamb is typically served hot with steamed rice to balance the rich sauce. The recipe also notes common ingredient substitutions and the importance of dissolving starch in soy sauce before mixing with other liquids for sauce smoothness. The use of Chinese cooking wine and five-spice powder are key for authentic flavor layers.
Ingredients
Lamb and marinade:
- 350g / 12 oz lamb thinly sliced 2 - 3 mm / 1/10" (boneless weight, fat trimmed, backstrap/fillet, mid loin chops, shoulder, or any cut in Note 1
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarb soda) (tenderiser, Note 2)
- 1 tsp cornstarch or cornflour
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or all purpose, Note 3, light
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Note 4 subs)
Sauce:
- 3 tsp cornstarch or cornflour
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tsp soy sauce or all purpose, Note 3, light
- 1 1/2 tsp sambal oelek or omit for no spice, or other chilli paste
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee brand)
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Note 4 subs)
- 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder Note 5
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 6)
Stir fry:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola or peanut)
- 1 onion cut into large 2.5cm / 1" squares, large
- 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 4 green onions , cut into 5cm/2" lengths
Instructions
Tenderise Lamb:
- Combine lamb and marinade ingredients, mix very well. Cover and refrigerate to marinate and tenderise the lamb.
- Marinate 2 hours - Backstrap, Midloin chops and other listed Tender Cuts in Note 1.
- Marinate 24 hours - lamb shoulder and other listed Economical Cuts in Note 1. (Bare minimum marinade times is 6 hrs).
Cooking:
- Sauce: Mix cornflour with the soy sauces, then mix in the remaining sauce ingredients. (Note 7)
- Cook onion: Heat oil over high heat in a wok or heavy based skillet. Add onions, and stir fry for 30 seconds until starting to colour. Add garlic and toss through quickly.
- Cook Lamb: Add lamb and cook for 3 minutes until most of it changes from red to brown, and some pieces start getting nice golden brown surfaces.
- Add Sauce: Add green onions, stir for 30 seconds (meat should all now be brown), then add Sauce. Stir and let simmer for 1 - 2 minutes until thickened.
- Serve with rice!
Notes
- Choose lamb cuts based on budget and desired marinating time; tender cuts marinate 2 hours, economical cuts up to 24 hours.
- Trim fat and sinew carefully for easier slicing and better texture.
- Baking soda tenderizes meat; do not rinse it off in this recipe to retain tenderness.
- Use a blend of light and dark soy sauces for balanced color and flavor in the sauce.
- Chinese cooking wine adds authenticity; substitute with dry sherry or mirin if needed.
- Sesame oil is toasted for richer flavor, do not skip or substitute with untoasted oil.
- Dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce before adding other liquids to prevent lumps in the sauce.
- Serve over rice to complement the savory and aromatic stir-fry.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 5
Amount Per Serving
Calories 279 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 279cal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 67mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 911mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 373mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 120IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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