BETTER THAN TAKE-OUT BEEF LO MEIN

Gourmet Mami
by Gourmet Mami
4 Servings
40 min

This home-made beef lo mein is even better than what you can get at a restaurant. It’s a nice quick recipe and the best part is that you can change up the vegetables depending on what you have available in your fridge. You can also increase the amount of vegetables in your lo mein to make it healthier. The key to this recipe is slicing the beef AGAINST the grain, and taking the extra time to marinate it. You will notice that the marinade contains baking soda and cornstarch, which are also important for the process of “velveting” which gives a soft, velvety texture to the meat.

Give it a try, and I bet this will make it into your regular rotation!

BETTER THAN TAKE-OUT BEEF LO MEIN
Recipe details
  • 4  Servings
  • Prep time: 30 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 40 min
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Ingredients
For the Beef and Marinade
  • 1 lb flank steak, ribeye or sirloin
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
For the Sauce
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
For the Lo Mein
  • 1 lb spaghetti or lo mein noodles (or your favorite gluten-free version!)
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 large carrot, julienned
  • ½ red bell pepper, julienned
  • 2 scallions thiny sliced, green and white parts separated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups snap peas
  • 2 tbsp mirin
Instructions

Slice the beef into thin strips against the grain. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, soy sauce, vegetable oil and baking soda and salt. Place the sliced beef in the bowl and toss to coat the beef. This step will make the beef tender and flavorful, with a shiny look. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Cook spaghetti or lo mein noodles according to the package instructions, set aside, and toss with a little vegetable oil so that the noodles don’t stick together.
Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, fish sauce, sesame oil and salt in a small bowl. Set aside
Have all your vegetables prepared and ready to go, by placing them in the order you will add them to the pan or wok.
Place your pan or wok over high heat until it’s smoking lightly. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to coat the wok, and add the beef so it’s all in one layer on the hot wok surface. Sear each side for about 30 seconds so the beef is golden brown. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
Add another tbsp of oil, along with the broccoli. Stir-fry for about a minute, or until the broccoli begins to turn bright green.
Add another tbsp oil, and then add the snap peas. Stir fry for another 30 seconds, and then add the carrots and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds, and then add the peppers and garlic. Make sure your heat is very high, and stir-fry everything together for another 30 seconds.
Add the cooked noodles. Then add the mirin, and toss the vegetables and noodles together. After the noodles are warmed up (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), add your sauce.
Continue stir-frying and and tossing the noodles with tongs until the sauce is coating everything evenly.
Next, add the beef (along with its juices.) Continue stir-frying until the noodles are heated through and everything is thoroughly mixed. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions.
Gourmet Mami
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Comments
  • Mary Lisa Robinson Mary Lisa Robinson on Dec 05, 2020

    I don't understand #8 in the instructions. What is mirin? What does the second sentence mean?

    • Gourmet Mami Gourmet Mami on Dec 06, 2020

      Hi Mary. Mirin is a Japanese rice wine. You can find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

      I'm sorry step 8 isn’t clear! So after you’ve sautéed the veggies, you add the noodles that you’ve already cooked previously in step 2. You add the moron and toss the veggies and noddles all together in the pan. I like to use to ha for this step. The. You add the sauce you previously made in step 3. Does this clarify things? Thanks for your questions!

  • Kathleen Kathleen on Dec 05, 2020

    I was able to totally make this vegan by substituting tofu for the beef and maple syrup for the honey and rice vinegar for the fish sauce. I also used water sautéing instead of the oil. It turned out so delicious with fewer calories and less harm to the animals and the environment! A total win/win!! Thank you for the inspiration:)

    • See 2 previous
    • Kathleen Kathleen on Dec 06, 2020

      Hi Carolyn,

      I used a local extra firm tofu from Whole Foods in Kansas City. It is actually produced in Lawrence, Kansas and is fantastic. Trader Joe's also has a great extra firm sprouted tofu. The texture of the extra firm tofu is more like meat so it gives that mouth feel of meat without the guilt. I also marinated the tofu in tamari which is gluten free. I also added gluten free noodles since my Mother prefers it. Except for the substitutions I mentioned, all of the other ingredients are vegan. Recipes are fluid so you can add a splash of this or a pinch of that according to your taste. I hope this helps.

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