Recipe for Beef lo Mein

This is a delicious recipe for the Asian favourite Beef lo Mein. This is esentially a stir-fry noodle dish that is quick to make and full of flavour. The soft noodles – you can choose from soba, wheat or egg – are coated in a sweet and savoury sauce that hits the taste buds and is pleasing on the palate. Beef lo Mein is traditionally made with wheat noodles that are boiled until they are al dente. The noodles are then stir-fried with beef, vegetables and a sauce. The sauce is typically made with soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil.

Beef lo Mein is served in chinese households and Asian restaurants around the world. The origins of beef lo mein are uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in China during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

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What’s the difference between a Beef lo mein and a beef chow mein?

The obvious thought would be to assume the distinction between chow mein and lo mein dishes is the kind of noodles used and indeed chow mein noodles are delightfully crisp while lo mein noodles are silky smooth, but there is more too it than that. In chow mein recipes, the noodles are the true star of the dish. Any extra vegetables or proteins are kept to a minimum so they do not distract from the crunchy noodles.

Lo mein simply refers to tossed or mixed noodles. A lo mein dish includes vegetables and some sort of protein, such as chicken, beef, pork, seafood or tofu. Beef lo Mein is a dry variation of traditional beef noodle soup and the dish mimics the texture of soup with a thick savoury sauce that sticks to and coats the noodles.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Beef or Strip Steak
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Pepper
• 2 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 Egg
• 3 tbs Cornflour
• 5 tbs Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 lb Noodles (thick wheat noodles)
• 1/2 cup Onions
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 cup Bean Sprouts
• 1 cup Mushrooms
• 1 cup peapods
• 1 cup Water
• 1 tbs Oyster Sauce
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce

Method:

In a bowl, add the beef, salt, a pinch white pepper, 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil, 1 egg, cornflour,1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix together.

In a medium-sized pan add your noodles to boiling water until the noodles are submerged and boil on high heat for 10 seconds. After your noodles are done boiling strain and cool with cold water.

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, beef and cook on high heat untill beef is medium cooked. Set the cooked beef aside.

In a wok add 2 tablespoons of oil, onions, minced garlic, minced ginger, bean sprouts, mushrooms, peapods and 1.5 cups of water or until the vegetables are submerged in water. Add the noodles to wok.

To make the sauce, add oyster sauce, 1 pinch white pepper, 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil, sugar, and 1 Teaspoon of soy sauce.

Next add the beef to wok and stir-fry

Beef lo Mein Your Way

Beef lo Mein is one of those wonderful dishes that can be adapted to suit your tastes. In China it is popular to add broccoli or pak choi. As mention earlier, try experimenting with different noodles to see which you prefer. Try boosting the sauce with beef stock to add depth of flavour.

Of course, your lo mein doesn´t have to be beef. You can switch the red meat for chicken or prawns. Tofu and vegetables also work well and the whole recipe can be adapted as a plant-based meal if your doing a meatless Monday.

New Favourite

There’s a reason why Beef lo Mein is one of the most popular take-away dishes, it’s fresh tasting but filling and is rich and satisfing for any appetite. One thing we can guarentee is that once you have made beef lo mein once, it will become you favourite go to fake away and have your frends begging for the recipe.