Beef Chow Mein

Ingredients

• 8 oz fresh thin Hong-Kong-Style Pan-fried Noodles (or 4 ounces dried)
• 4 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil; divided)
• 0.75 cup white button mushrooms (or fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced)
• 0.75 cup carrot (thinly sliced; about 1 small carrot)
• 1 cup snow peas (ends trimmed, fibrous string removed)
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 2 scallions (sliced on an angle into 2-inch/5cm pieces)
• 1 clove garlic (chopped)
• 12 oz beef flank steak (sliced into thin strips)
• 1.5 tbsp water (for beef marinade)
• 0.25 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (for beef marinade)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp neutral oil (for beef marinade)
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for beef marinade)
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry; for beef marinade)
• 1 tbsp hot water (for sauce)
• 0.25 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (divided)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (for sauce)
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce (for sauce)
• 0.5 tsp sesame oil
• 0.125 tsp white pepper

Steps

1. 1

   Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, and cook the noodles for 30-60 seconds.

2. 2

   Drain, rinse in cold water, and spread the noodles out to drain further.

3. 3

   Velvet the beef by combining the beef strips with water, baking soda, oyster sauce, cornstarch, oil, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine.

4. 4

   Massage the beef to coat it uniformly until it absorbs all the liquid.

5. 5

   Make the sauce in a small bowl by mixing the hot water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.

6. 6

   Add the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper to the water-sugar mixture.

7. 7

   Heat your wok over medium-high heat until it is just starting to smoke. Add 1½ tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the wok.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to medium, and spread the noodles in a thin layer, tilting the wok in a circular motion to distribute the oil and crisp the bottom layer of the noodles evenly.

9. 9

   Let the noodles cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent burning.

10. 10

    Flip the noodles and repeat on the other side. Remove from the wok.

11. 11

    Heat wok over high heat until the wok is just smoking, and add 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter.

12. 12

    Add the beef in one layer, and sear for 30 seconds. Flip and sear for another 30 seconds.

13. 13

    Stir-fry the beef for another 20 seconds, and remove the beef from the wok.

14. 14

    Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic, mushrooms, carrots, and half the scallions (more of the white parts than the green parts). Stir-fry for 1 minute.

15. 15

    Still over high heat, add the noodles and beef (with any juices). Pour the sauce mixture over the top and turn the heat to the highest setting.

16. 16

    Stir-fry the noodles with a lift-and-shake motion until the sauce is well-incorporated, about 30-45 seconds.

17. 17

    Add the snow peas, bean sprouts, and the remaining scallions. Stir-fry everything for another 1-2 minutes. Serve!

Notes

Tip: Rinse the mung bean sprouts in cold water. Keep them in cold water until you are ready to cook, and put them into a colander to drain just before you heat up the wok. This keeps them crisp and crunchy!

Nutrition per serving

• main
• beef
• noodles
• stir-fry
• Chinese
• Cantonese
• dinner