Mongolian Beef

When I was around 12 years old, my Papa and step-mother Marj were living in Santa Barbara (yes, I call my birth-father "Papa"). Every summer I would stay with them for 6 weeks or so. One afternoon while they were at work, I halted my mission to complete the Lord of the Rings trilogy and began flipping through Chinese Cookery, by Rose Cheng and Michele Morris. It occurred to me that I wanted to show my appreciation to them and give them a night off in the kitchen, so I started making a grocery list. The resulting feast hardly constituted "a break" for them, I'm afraid. I planned something like 4 or 5 courses: Mongolian Beef, Mu Shu Pork, Fried Rice, Wonton Soup, and some Chicken Broccoli Cashew thing, if I recall correctly (we eliminated the last one, I think). Madness, I tell you! It must have cost them a fortune, with all the types of special Chinese sauces that took forever to gather. They supported my plan though, and I always appreciated that. This recipe is adapted from Chinese Cookery, found on the Sweet Sugarplums blog:

--2/3 lb Beef Skirt Steak, partially frozen, sliced with the grain into 1-inch long strips about 1/4-inch thick
--1 tsp Sherry
--1 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
--1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
--1 tsp Sesame Oil
--1/4 tsp Baking Soda
--1 tsp Cornstarch
--1/2 tsp Sugar
--5 tbsp Canola Oil
--1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
--1 tbsp Chili Sauce, or Hot Bean Sauce
--1/2 cup Water
--1 tsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp Water
--8-10 Green Onions, sliced at an angle

Combine sherry, soy sauce, vegetable oil, baking soda, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add beef strips and mix well. Let marinade for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. When the beef has marinated, heat canola oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until it is halfway cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from wok and reduce heat to medium. Add hoisin sauce, chili sauce (or hot bean sauce), and water. Bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture. Add green onions and the beef, then stir-fry for 30 seconds. Serve over rice or noodles.