Beef Lo Mein

Method14 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Slice the 12 oz flank steak into thin strips against the grain. Mix it with the marinade’s ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp vegetable oil. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

   Cold beef marinade · 30 minUses 12 oz flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain · 1 teaspoon cornstarch · 1 teaspoon soy sauce · 1 teaspoon vegetable oil · 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the sauce’s 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp sugar and ¼ tsp white pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

   Uses 1 tablespoon light soy sauce · 1 tablespoon oyster sauce · 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce · 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil · 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste) · 1/4 teaspoon sugar · 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

3. 3

   Step 3: Rinse the 1 lb ready cooked lo mein noodles under hot water to loosen them, then drain thoroughly in a colander. Before heating the wok, mince the garlic (1 clove), julienne the carrot (1) and red pepper, slice the mushrooms (½ cup) and ready bamboo shoots, shred the cabbage and prepare the snow peas (⅔ cup) and sprouts. Separate the scallion (2) whites from the greens. Arrange everything in cooking order and have the sauce, wine and two tablespoon portions of frying oil measured. Use a wok large enough for this batch.

   Uses 1 lb ready cooked lo mein noodles · Hot water for rinsing and loosening cooked lo mein noodles · 1 clove garlic (minced) · 1 carrot (medium carrot, julienned) · 1/2 red bell pepper (julienned) · ½ cup sliced mushrooms · ½ cup ready edible bamboo shoots, in strips or slices · 2 cups shredded Napa cabbage

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Heat the wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Coat it with the first 1 tbsp frying oil, spread all the marinated beef from step 1 in one layer and sear the first face for about 30 seconds.

   Turn searing beef · 1 minUses First 1 tbsp frying oil · Marinated beef strips

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Turn the beef from step 4 and sear the second face for another 30 seconds. Lift the beef into a bowl, retaining its juices and the wok drippings; it will finish cooking with the noodles.

   Lift turned beef · 1 minUses Beef with first face seared and wok oil

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add the remaining 1 tbsp frying oil to the wok drippings from step 5. Add the prepared garlic from step 3 and immediately follow with all the prepared carrot, red pepper and mushrooms so the garlic does not burn. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.

   Add bamboo and scallion whites · 1 minUses Wok drippings after lifting the beef · Remaining 1 tbsp frying oil · All minced garlic, julienned carrot and red pepper, and ½ cup mushrooms from step 3

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Add the prepared ½ cup bamboo shoots and the scallion white parts from step 3 to the vegetables in step 6. Stir-fry for another 20 seconds.

   Add Napa cabbage · 1 minUses Garlic, carrot, pepper and mushrooms with wok oil · All ½ cup ready bamboo shoots and scallion whites from step 3

8. 8

   Step 8: Add all 2 cups prepared shredded Napa cabbage from step 3 to the wok from step 7. Turn the heat to its highest setting and stir-fry everything for another 30 seconds.

   Add prepared noodles · 1 minUses Stir-fried vegetables with bamboo shoots and scallion whites · All 2 cups shredded cabbage from step 3

9. 9

   Step 9: Add all the drained, loosened cooked noodles from step 3 to the vegetables from step 8. Check that they are separated before they go into the hot wok.

   Uses Stir-fried vegetable mixture · All loosened and drained noodles from step 3

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour the 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok from step 9. Toss the vegetables and noodles with a scooping motion for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, checking from 30 seconds, until warmed through. Then add the complete sauce bowl from step 2.

    Add sauce to warmed noodles · 1 minUses Noodles added to hot vegetables · 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine · Prepared lo mein sauce

11. 11

    Step 11: Continue lifting and tossing the sauce-coated noodles from step 10 until the sauce is evenly distributed. Scrape the wok’s bottom to prevent sticking and keep the heat high.

    Uses Warm noodles and vegetables with lo mein sauce

12. 12

    Step 12: Add the prepared ⅔ cup snow peas and 2 cups mung bean sprouts from step 3, then all the seared beef with its bowl juices from step 5, to the noodles in step 11. Stir-fry until the noodles are hot throughout, the snow peas are crisp-tender, the sprouts are thoroughly cooked and hot throughout, and the beef is fully cooked to at least 63°C.

    Uses Noodles and vegetables evenly coated with sauce · All ⅔ cup snow peas and 2 cups sprouts from step 3 · All seared beef and bowl juices from step 5

13. 13

    Step 13: Toss the scallion green parts reserved in step 3 into the fully cooked lo mein from step 12. Taste, then add any of the optional extra salt, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil or white pepper only as needed.

    Uses Fully cooked beef lo mein · All scallion greens reserved in step 3 · Extra salt, only if needed to adjust the cooked noodles · Extra light soy sauce, only if needed to adjust the cooked noodles · Extra oyster sauce, only if needed to adjust the cooked noodles · Extra sesame oil, only if needed to adjust the cooked noodles · Extra white pepper, only if needed to adjust the cooked noodles

14. 14

    Step 14: Take the finished lo mein from step 13 off the heat and rest for at least 3 minutes after the beef reaches 63°C. Plate as six portions, with the optional ready chili oil on the side.

    Rest cooked lo mein · 3 minUses Finished seasoned beef lo mein · Ready chili oil for serving, as desired