Beef lo mein

In an earlier post and on the general topic of quick Asian dishes, I alluded to how much I rely on oyster sauce for everyday stir-fries.  I would be a little lost without it because I use it for flavoring and as a base for mixing up a quick sauce for a variety of dishes.  

If you're into Chinese cooking, oyster sauce is definitely something to keep on hand. It's a thick, dark-colored sauce with deep, savory flavor (it reminds me of Japanese miso in some ways) that's more complex than soy sauce since it's made with oyster extractives (oyster, water, and salt).  Generally, a little goes a long way. "Authentic" Chinese cuisine leans on the savory side so oyster sauce is far more common and likely to be tossed into the frying pan than hoisin sauce, which is sweet and tends to be used more as a dipping sauce (though there's a time and place for everything). I grew up eating oyster sauce drizzled over sautéed greens and tossed in a wok with meat and whatever else is cooking to add an instant concentrated savoriness to the food.  

Given all the talk I've been doing about stir-fries, Asian pantry ingredients, and simple cooking, I wanted to post this easy beef lo mein recipe that I often make at home. It's special to me because it's one of my son's favorite dishes that I make.  He's actually pretty selective when it comes to pasta/noodles but this is one he slurps right up.

To make this, I buy noodles in the refrigerated aisle at the Asian market, which makes it even easier to get the dish on the dining room table since you don't need to boil water and cook the noodles first.  If I haven't planned ahead, I substitute the noodles with regular spaghetti and it works quite well.

You can obviously make lo mein with all kinds of add-ins but my family prefers beef.  I marinate thinly sliced flank steak and like to incorporate some scallions and onions but you could obviously load it up with all kinds of vegetables (I like to use Chinese chives sometimes) and meat.  To flavor and add a quick "sauce" to heat up the noodles and give the dish some moisture, all I do is stir about a tablespoon of oyster sauce into some beef broth.  If you're not making lo mein with beef or don't have broth, you could just use water (I used to all the time), in which case up the amount of oyster sauce a bit.

It's really easy and, for me, it a surefire hit for dinner with minimal effort.


When it comes to oyster sauce, I buy this one here:

I've been told by my elders to look for this one, the bottle with wording in Chinese and the figures in the boat, and I don't question what I'm told by those who know far better than me.  To be honest, I realize that when it comes to most bottled sauces of any kind, there are inevitably additives and other ingredients we'd rather do without. Luckily, we don't generally need to use a whole lot for the right amount of impact.  

I mentioned that I buy cooked noodles in the refrigerated case at the Asian grocery store and I've shown the one I like to buy above.  You really don't need to boil it so it's ready to go right into the hot pan.  I let it sit out at room temperature for a bit before cooking and then set it into my broth (or water) mixture to loosen it up and toss all together with the meat and vegetables to heat it through.  If you can't get your hands on this, spaghetti is a very good substitute.

When I do stir-fry, I often finish the dish with a simple slurry (cornstarch and water) mixed in with a bit of oyster sauce.  In this case, there's no need for extra cornstarch because I marinade the beef with some (something my mother taught me to do when I was a kid; she also instructed me to add a pinch of sugar) and with a bit of starch from the noodles, the liquid thickens a bit on its own. There shouldn't be a lot of sauce at all, just enough to coat and moisten the strains. I've tried using a slurry to finish this dish and it's a goopy mess so don't bother.  

When I'm cooking something I this, I don't really measure so feel free to use more or less meat and vegetables and be sure to taste and season as you like.  Add a touch more soy sauce, throw in a few dashes of Maggi, or add a little more (or use a little less) garlic.  It's all about what you and your family enjoy.

I told my nine year old I'm posting this one for him and I fully expect him to look this recipe up and cook it for himself (and hopefully for me and his dad, too!) one day.


Recipe:

Beef Lo Mein

- For approximately 6 servings - 

For beef and marinade:
8 ounces flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
1 small to medium onion, thinly sliced
4-5 scallions, sliced into about 2-inch long strips
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup low-sodium beef broth (or substitute with water and double amount of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 16-ounce bag of cooked noodle, as shown above (or substitute with about 12 ounces of dried spaghetti and cook according to package instructions)
Splash of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce, to finish

Toss beef with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch.  Let meat marinade for half an hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat a dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, the garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes (if using).  Add onions, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.  Add scallions and toss for about a minute. Remove onions and scallions to a plate.  Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to pan, then add the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes, until meat is almost cooked through (it should still have some pink to it and there will likely be moisture at the bottom of the pan, which helps flavor the noodles).  Remove beef from the pan onto the plate with the onions and scallions.

In a measuring cup or bowl, stir beef broth and oyster sauce together.  Add to the hot pan.  Add cooked noodles and use a wooden spoon to loosen the noodles (a pair of chopsticks works well too).  Cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until noodles are warmed through.  Add beef, onions, and scallions back into the pan.  Toss to combine and finish cooking the beef.  If mixture looks too dry, you can add a splash of broth (or water).  Season with a few dashes of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce.  Taste, and further adjust seasoning according to your preference.