Crock Pot Mongolian Style Beef

Instead of the Sunday roast, we like to do the occasional Sunday slow cook on wintery weekends. This weekend I wanted to try something a little different and try and get some Asian flavours into our slow cooker.

I found this recipe for Crock Pot Mongolian Style Beef on Recipezaar and really liked the look of it. DD loves Mongolian anything, so he was happy with the choice as well.

I do enjoy slow cooker recipes, it's something about throwing a whole heap of things into the dish and not having to worry about anything until dinnertime, when there's a lovely meal there. Or more accurately, it's this idea, because it rarely turns out that perfectly. I'm still perfecting my technique. I've worked out how much liquid I need to add to stop the meal from becoming a soupy mess and I've worked out that it's better if I add my sweet potato an hour before serving to stop it from disintegrating. I learn more each time I use it.

This fusion meal turned out very well. I followed the suggestion in one of the reviews and substituted sake for the fruity wine to give it more of an Asian feel. We served it with some rice, baby spinach leaves and bean sprouts. It wasn't a typical Mongolian flavour, but a more subtle taste. It was really nice and I'll definately try it again.

Crock Pot Mongolian Style Beef
adapted from Julesong on Recipezaar

500g beef stir fry strips
1 medium white onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs hoisin sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs ground ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup spring onions, cut
1/3 cup sake
1 sweet potato, cut into chunks

Combine the soy sauce, sherry, chicken broth, garlic, hoisin, brown sugar, ginger and pepper flakes in a bowl and then put the mixture into the crockpot along with the onion.

Add the beef, gently pushing it into the liquid to cover and pour the sake over.

In a Breville slow cooker, cook on "Auto" for 6-7 hours. 1 hour before serving, add the sweet potato and spring onions. Cook for the remaining hour.

Stir and serve over rice, baby spinach leaves and bean sprouts.