Beef Lo Mein
I made this last night with what we had in the house. What you dont see in this recipe was the bok choy, mushroom and bean sprout stir fry I made as a side dish. My wife commented that I could have omitted the bean sprouts, and added the bok choy and mushrooms directly to the Low Mein. Maybe next time.
I made this last night with what we had in the house. What you dont see in this recipe was the bok choy, mushroom and bean sprout stir fry I made as a side dish. My wife commented that I could have omitted the bean sprouts, and added the bok choy and mushrooms directly to the Low Mein. Maybe next time.
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 white onion peeled, halved and sliced thin
- rice wine vinegar
- lite soy sauce
- 2 tbs canola oil
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and bruised
- 4 dried chile peppers seeded and chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced thin
- 3 celery sliced thin
- 1 yellow green or red bell pepper julienne
- 3 scallions thinly sliced and divided
- 2 strip steaks sliced thin
- 1 lb spaghetti or chinese egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Carbohydrate 81.8948780783177 g
- Cholesterol 88.616 mg
- Fat 55.0046920592042 g
- Fiber 9.57259779363764 g
- Protein 51.0148590444517 g
- Saturated Fat 9.3979818145921 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (460g)
- Sodium 1334.82069716873 mg
- Sugar 72.3222802846801 g
- Trans Fat 3.66788743839607 g
- Calories 995 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the noodles as per instructions. I use a little fish sauce in the water for some extra flavor.
- In a small shallow bowl, place the onion and enough rice vinegar to cover, a few dashes of lite soy sauce and pinch of salt. Let onions sit at room temperature for about an hour.
- Heat sesame and canola oils in a large deep skillet over med high heat.
- When hot, add garlic and chile peppers.
- Saute until fragrant and garlic barely begins to brown.
- With slotted spoon, remove garlic and chile peppers from oil leaving the oil behind.
- Add sliced beef and saute in 2 separate batches just until browned.
- Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
- To the remaining oil add the julienne of bell pepper, carrot and celery and saute until slightly soft, about 4 minutes.
- Drain the onions and add them to the pan and stir for about 2 minutes.
- Add the beef, ½ of the scallions, garlic, and chile peppers and saute for about 2 minutes.
- Drain the noodles thoroughly and add to the pan and toss to coat a warm through.
- Serve while hot.
- Garnish with the rest of the scallions.
The Perils of Overcrowded Pans
Home cooks frequently dump all the beef into the skillet at once, which drops the oil temperature and causes the meat to steam instead of sear. Slicing two strip steaks thin and cooking them in two separate batches over medium-high heat ensures proper caramelization without tough fibers. Bruising five garlic cloves rather than mincing them releases aromatic oils into the canola and sesame blend without burning the solids during the four-minute vegetable sauté.
Selecting Complementary Sides
Pairing stir-fried noodles with crisp, lightly steamed bok choy or earthy mushrooms adds necessary textural contrast and balances the savory richness of the soy and fish sauce components. Retaining water integrity is vital; ensure any added vegetables are thoroughly blotted before hitting the pan so the sauce adheres to the pasta rather than pooling at the bottom of the dish.
Acid Balance and Prep
Soaking sliced white onions in rice wine vinegar with a pinch of salt for one hour mellows their sharp bite and introduces a bright foundational note that cuts through heavy fats. Draining those onions completely before incorporating them back into the skillet at the two-minute mark prevents unwanted dilution of the concentrated pan juices.
