Mongolian Barbecue

My cooking style is eclectic. But basically, it's that I want the most flavor, in the shortest possible time, after the easiest of steps, and of the least possible cost. That's not to say, however, that I settle for less. (You get creative and innovative when there's plenty of constraints... and I like challenges. :P )

Here's a recipe for one of my favorite stir-fries. It's a favorite because it's flavorful, has a lot of vegetables (a great way to sneak in some health!), the ingredients you can prepare ahead
and the dish you can whip up at the last minute.

MONGOLIAN BARBECUE

Ingredients:

• 250g. beef sirloin, stroganoff or sukiyaki cut, sliced further into 1'' strips
• 250g. takoyaki cut octopus*
• 250g. carrots, peeled and julienned
• 250gg. baguio beans, julienned
• 4 stalks leeks, sliced diagonally into 1/2" strips
• 1 med. red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 med. jalapeno pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 med. cabbage, washed and sliced into strips
• 250g. mongo sprouts, washed and cleaned
• 5-6 pcs. dried mushrooms (chinese or woodear), soaked in hot water and sliced into strips -- optional
• 1 scallion (red onion), sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced thinly (optional)
• 3 T Oyster Sauce
• 1 T Hoisin Sauce
• 2-3 T brown sugar (optional)
• a dash or two of sesame oil

In a pan or wok, pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil over high heat. Saute garlic, onions and ginger (if using) for a minute, then add meats. Stir fry for three minutes.

Add the seafood, stir frying for one minute. Add in all the vegetables, starting with the hard ones (carrots and beans), followed by the leafy ones. Stir fry for one and a half-minutes more. Pour in the seasonings/sauces, and stir fry to coat for 30 seconds to a minute.

That's it! You're done. Serve hot and merry. :)

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PS1: You may add rice, sotanghon or chapchae after adding the vegetables, as extenders. For more spice, add in a dash of hot sauce.

PS2: By all means substitute chicken, fish or squid for the meats, if you like. :)

PS uli: I'm proud of the shot of the finished product (that's up there, in the red bowl), which I took using my Sony Ericsson S700i, a humble 1.3 megapixel cam. (Nice, di ba?) At that time while I've already acquired a higher-resolution cam, I have not found the time to master the features, so I stuck to what's familiar.