Beef Lo Mein
Submitted by leelee1
Beef lo mein: a takeout-style stir fry with thin-sliced flank steak, cabbage, carrot, and soy-ginger marinade tossed with noodles. Home cooking that matches the takeout in under 45 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
35 minREADY
45 minBeef lo mein is the stir-fry that most often gets ordered from takeout menus, and this version brings it home without sacrificing flavor. Thin slices of flank steak (cut across the grain) marinate briefly in cornstarch, soy, sugar, ginger, and scallion for velvety texture. A wok heated to screaming hot cooks the beef in two minutes flat, then cabbage and carrot stir fry for another couple of minutes before noodles and meat reunite.
Spaghetti takes the place of traditional lo mein noodles here, drained al dente and tossed with a little oil to keep strands from clumping. It’s a reasonable swap when Chinese egg noodles aren’t available, and the pasta absorbs the soy-scented pan juices beautifully.
The wok temperature is everything. Smoking-hot oil is what sears the beef instead of stewing it, and produces the wok hei (smoky, charred flavor) that takeout lo mein has and weak-pan home versions don’t.
Chef Tips
- Slice the flank steak against the grain, as thin as you can manage. Thick or with-the-grain slices turn chewy and tough.
- Freeze the steak for 20 minutes before slicing. Firm meat slices cleaner and thinner than floppy room-temp beef.
- Let the wok smoke before oil goes in. A cool wok steams vegetables and grays the beef instead of searing.
- Cook the beef no more than 2 minutes. It cooks again when tossed with the noodles at the end.
- Have everything prepped before you start cooking. Stir-frying moves fast; chopping while the wok is hot leads to burnt aromatics.
Variations
- Swap spaghetti for fresh lo mein noodles, egg noodles, or even ramen noodles for a more authentic bite.
- Add sliced shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, or snow peas with the cabbage for more vegetables.
- Finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper for deeper aromatic finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook spaghetti as directed on package, AL DENTE, drain, rinse in cold water, add a few drops oil and mix to keep from sticking.
Set aside.
Slice steak VERY THIN, across the grain, 2 inch pieces.
Mix together, steak, ginger, scallion, cornstarch, sugar, light soy, set aside to marinate.
Heat wok to smoking, add 2 tablespoon oil.
Stir fry meat mixture two minutes, do not overcook, Reserve.
Add 2 tablespoon oil, heat, stir fry carrots and cabbage two minutes, add spaghetti, stir well and cook a few minutes, add meat mixture, 1 tablespoon soy and salt.
Stir a minute to heat and serve. Nice thing about stir fry cooking, just about anything goes.
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