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Mongolian barbecue () is a
Mongolian barbecue was created by the Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur Wu Zhaonan. A native of
Typically, diners select a variety of raw ingredients from a display of thinly sliced meats (such as beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, and shrimp) and vegetables (such as cabbage, tofu, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms). The bowl of ingredients is handed to the chef who adds the diner's choice of sauce, then transfers them to the grill.
The round shape of the grill allows two or more chefs to cook food simultaneously, and to cook quickly due to the thinly sliced ingredients, so the food is typically cooked in one revolution of the grill. Oil or water may be added to ease cooking. The ingredients are stir-fried continuously over the high heat and all food remains identifiable and intact.
Some American chains place the food on different parts of the round grill, sometimes in a special wedge shaper. Each dish is stirred in its turn, as the operator walks around the outside of the grill and turns each individual's food in succession.
When cooking is complete, each finished dish is scooped into a bowl and handed to the diner. Many Mongolian barbecue restaurants follow an all-you-can-eat buffet format, and allow multiple visits to the grill.
Mongolian barbecue () is a stir fried
Stir frying () is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and ...
dish that was developed by Wu Zhaonan in Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
in 1951. Meat and vegetables are cooked on large, round, solid iron griddle
A griddle, in the UK also called a girdle, is a cooking device consisting mainly of a broad, usually flat cooking surface. Nowadays it can be either a movable metal pan- or plate-like utensil, a flat heated cooking surface built into a stove or ...
s at temperatures of up to 300 °C (572 °F). Despite its name, the dish is not Mongolian and is only loosely related to barbecue.
Origin
Mongolian barbecue was created by the Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur Wu Zhaonan. A native of Beijing
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Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, Wu fled to Taiwan because of the Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, and opened a street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumpt ...
stall in , Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
in 1951. He originally wanted to call the dish "Beijing barbecue", but because of political sensitivity with the city, which had just recently been designated as the capital of Communist China, he settled with "Mongolian barbecue" instead, even though it had no direct connection to Mongolia.
Wu's food stall became very popular and even attracted foreign diplomats and wealthy business people despite being a cheap eatery. However, it was later destroyed by flooding caused by a typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
, in which Wu nearly drowned. He then developed a highly successful career as a comedian and exited the restaurant business, while numerous imitators emerged to capitalize on the popularity of the dish he created, with Genghis Khan, Tang Palace, Great Khan, and Heavenly Khan among the oldest and most popular. It was later successfully introduced to the West.
Preparation
Typically, diners select a variety of raw ingredients from a display of thinly sliced meats (such as beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, and shrimp) and vegetables (such as cabbage, tofu, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms). The bowl of ingredients is handed to the chef who adds the diner's choice of sauce, then transfers them to the grill.
The round shape of the grill allows two or more chefs to cook food simultaneously, and to cook quickly due to the thinly sliced ingredients, so the food is typically cooked in one revolution of the grill. Oil or water may be added to ease cooking. The ingredients are stir-fried continuously over the high heat and all food remains identifiable and intact.
Some American chains place the food on different parts of the round grill, sometimes in a special wedge shaper. Each dish is stirred in its turn, as the operator walks around the outside of the grill and turns each individual's food in succession.
When cooking is complete, each finished dish is scooped into a bowl and handed to the diner. Many Mongolian barbecue restaurants follow an all-you-can-eat buffet format, and allow multiple visits to the grill.
See also
* Asado *Bulgogi
''Bulgogi'' (불고기; ; from Korean ''bul-gogi'' ), literally "fire meat", is a ''gui'' (구이; Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top grid ...
, a popular Korean stir-fried grill dish
* Jingisukan
is a Japanese grilled mutton dish prepared on a convex metal skillet or other grill. It is often cooked alongside beansprouts, onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers, and served with a sauce based in either soy sauce or sake. The dish is particula ...
, a popular Japanese stir-fried grill dish
* Khorkhog, a Mongolian dish referred to as "Mongolian barbecue"
* Korean BBQ refers to a variety of grilled dishes in Korean cuisine
* List of Taiwanese inventions and discoveries
* Saj, a convex griddle used in central, south, and west Asia, eastern and Southern Europe and the Caribbean for cooking bread and meat
* Taiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine (, Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄌㄧㄠˋㄌㄧˇ, or , Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄘㄞˋ) has several variations. The earliest known cuisines of Taiwan are that of the Taiwanese indigenous peoples. Over hundred years of histor ...
* Teppanyaki
, often confused with , is a post-World War II style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word ''teppanyaki'' is derived from ''teppan'' ( 鉄板), the metal plate on which it is cooked, and ''yaki'' ( 焼き), whic ...
, a similar Japanese style of cooking
Notes
{{Barbecue Taiwanese cuisine Cooking techniques 1951 in Taiwan