The Mongolian Beef My Dad's Made 100,000 Times

Trim the beef, cutting away any white, stringy gristle. Note the direction of the grain and slice the beef thinly against the grain into bite-sized pieces.

Rinse the beef slices in cold water to remove myoglobin, which will make the beef appear paler and more appealing when cooked.

In a bowl, combine baking soda, cornstarch, water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari, and white pepper powder. Mix thoroughly.

Squeeze excess water from the rinsed beef slices. Add the beef to the marinade and mix well, allowing the beef to soak up the marinade.

Slice the onion into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Chop scallions into 1-inch pieces, separating whites from greens. Mince garlic. Cut bell peppers into strips.

In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari, chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine.

Add 1 tbsp of oil to the marinated beef and mix well to coat. This helps seal in the juices. Then, add 1 tbsp cornstarch and mix again to help the beef crisp up.

Heat a wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 1 oz of oil, swirl to coat, then add another 2 oz of oil. Heat for about a minute. Add the beef and fry for about 1.5 minutes until cooked through and slightly crispy. Remove beef from wok, draining excess oil.

Turn the stove back on. Add the remaining oil in the wok. Add garlic, dried chili peppers, onion, and scallion whites. Stir-fry for 1 to 1.5 minutes until fragrant. Add bell peppers and stir-fry for another minute until tender-crisp.

Return the beef to the wok. Stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the prepared sauce and the green parts of the scallions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds more.

Turn off the heat. Drizzle with sesame oil and mix to distribute. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.