Mongolian barbecue (Chinese:蒙古烤肉;pinyin:Měnggǔ kǎoròu;Wade–Giles:Mêng²-ku³ K'ao³-jou⁴) is a method of preparingstir-fried noodle dishes.[1][2] Despite its name, the dish is notMongolian, nor was it influenced by Mongolian cuisine. It was developed inTaiwan by awaishengren during the 1950s. Furthermore, it is also unrelated to actualbarbecue traditions (such asAmerican orKorean barbecue), since it is not cooked on a perforated grill above the smoke of an open flame, but rather a specialized flatiron grill.[citation needed] The kind of grill used to cook it is in the shape of a circle,[3] and an upside-down wok was, in 1979, used to cook the dish in Taiwanese establishments.[4] It has more in common withTeppanyaki.[citation needed]
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Mongolian barbecue was created byWu Zhaonan, a Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur originally fromBeijing, who fled to Taiwan after the outbreak of theChinese Civil War, and opened astreet food stall inYingqiao [zh], DowntownTaipei in 1951.[1][2] While he initially wished to name the dish "Peking barbecue" after his hometown, due to political sensitivity associated with the city which had been recently designated as the capital of thePeople's Republic of China, the name "Mongolian barbecue" was chosen instead.[5]
Wu's food stall attracted a wide clientele including diplomats and wealthy businesspeople despite serving a relatively cheap and unsophisticated dish;[citation needed] however, it was later destroyed by flooding originating from atyphoon during which Wu almost drowned.[5] He was later able to develop a highly successful career as a comedian and left the restaurant business. Numerous imitators emerged to capitalize on the popularity of the dish he created, including Genghis Khan, Tang Palace, Great Khan, and Heavenly Khan.[5] The dish was later successfully introduced outside Taiwan.[3]
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Typically, diners select a variety of raw ingredients from a display of sliced meat (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 then adds the diner's choice of sauce and is transferred to a grill.
The circular shape of the grill allows two or more chefs to cook food simultaneously and quickly and the food is typically prepared as the grill is revolved around. Oil or water may be added while the ingredients are stir-fried continuously over the high heat with the food items remaining intact.
Some American chains place the food on different parts of the round grill separated by 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 anall-you-can-eat buffet format, allowing multiple visits to the grill.
[...]on a large circular grill.
