Chop Suey Chow Mein

This is American Chinese cuisine in its purest mid-century form. Chop suey and chow mein aren’t technically Chinese dishes at all, they were invented by Chinese cooks in 19th-century America to suit local palates, and this pressure cooker version is a time capsule of how home cooks made them in the 1950s and 60s.

Cubed pork gets browned in lard (yes, really lard, it adds an old-school richness that oil just can’t match, though vegetable oil works as a substitute). Spanish onion, celery, canned mushrooms, and a bag of frozen ‘Chinese vegetables’ (bean sprouts, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots) go in with soy sauce and molasses for that sweet-savory glaze.

The molasses is the interesting touch. It’s not traditional to either cuisine but delivers the dark-sweet caramel note that canned chop suey was famous for.

Serve over steamed rice or, for true chow mein, on a bed of crispy fried noodles.

Chef Tips

• Dust pork cubes with seasoned flour for thicker pan juices and a better sear.
• Don’t skip draining the canned vegetables; they bring enough liquid on their own from the juice you add.
• Let the pressure cooker depressurize naturally. Quick release agitates the meat.
• Stir in vegetables at the very end so they stay crisp-tender, not mushy.

Variations

• Use beef chuck or chicken thigh instead of pork.
• Swap fresh mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts for the canned mix if you can source them.
• Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and sliced green onions for more authentic flavor.