What is lo mein sauce made of?

Most commonly, lo mein involves chicken, beef, pork, turkey, shrimp or tofu. Sauce components: Lo mein sauce is mainly composed of sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and a dash of sugar . If you like your noodles to have a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

What makes lo mein taste good?

Lo mein sauce The sauce is what makes this dish so addictive. It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's super easy to make a batch of lo mein sauce and keep it in the fridge so you can easily make lo mein whenever the craving hits.

How do you thicken beef and broccoli?

To thicken beef and broccoli, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a small amount of water to create a slurry . Add the slurry to the simmering sauce and stir until it thickens. Adjust the consistency as needed. Mix together a teaspoon of corn starch with enough water to dissolve it so it looks milky.

How to make bland lo mein taste better?

Give your lo mein a quick taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add more salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, or white pepper according to your preference . Plate your lo mein and serve with homemade chili oil or hot sauce on the side!

What sauce do Chinese restaurants use?

Soy sauce (jiàng yóu, 酱油), the most common of Chinese sauces, sounds simple, and for the most part, it is. However, there are many types, each unique to different Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.).

Can I use spaghetti noodles for lo mein?

15 Minute Lo Mein! Made with just soy sauce, sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, ramen noodles or spaghetti noodles , and any veggies or protein you like. SO YUMMY!

Do you soak lo mein noodles before cooking?

Soak your lo mein noodles in hot boiling water for 15-20 seconds just until loosened . Strain immediately. In a large skillet or large wok, on medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil. Add carrots, red bell pepper, snow peas, mushrooms and napa cabbage.

What gives lo mein its smoky flavor?

The best kind of restaurant-style stir-fried lo mein is subtle in flavor, with plenty of wok hei , the smoky flavor that results from the powerful flame of a restaurant wok burner licking up and over the back of the wok, singeing the oil and noodles.

Why are my lo mein noodles mushy?

Things go fast, and you don't want to overcook the noodles . Once done, remove the lo mein from the boiling water right away, and drain. Don't wait, or the noodles may become overcooked and mushy. Rinse your drained noodles under cold water after cooking.

What is the brown sauce in Chinese food called?

There is no specific 'brown sauce' in Chinese cooking. There are many sauces used… some have a brown color. Oyster sauce is brown, as Sha Cha sauce (Chinese style Satay Sauce), and Hoisin Sauce, to name a couple of famous types.

What is chow mein sauce made of?

The BEST Chow Mein Sauce: Combine soy sauce, light sesame oil, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth to make the signature sweet and savory sauce that makes chow mein taste authentic.

What is inside hoisin sauce?

Hoisin is made with sugar, water, soybeans, salt, sweet potato, sesame seeds, cornstarch, garlic, wheat flour, chili pepper and spices .

What is inside oyster sauce?

Traditionally, oysters are slowly simmered in water until the liquid caramelizes into a viscous, dark black-brown sauce. But to speed up the process, some commercialized versions are instead made with oyster extracts, plus salt, sugar, corn starch and caramel coloring .

Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

A balanced marinade helps to tenderize meat as well as provide superior browning characteristics and better flavor.
Par-cooking the noodles gives them optimal texture when they're fried.
The ingredients are cooked in batches so as to maximize wok hei, the smoky effect of a hot wok.

From crispy pan-fried noodles to a bowl of wonton noodle soup, fresh Chinese egg noodles are a staple of Chinese restaurants. Just like Italian pasta or ramen, when cooked properly, they should have a firm bite and springy texture, and the wide variation in thickness and springiness makes Chinese egg noodles some of the most versatile to cook with.

Beef and broccoli might only be a classic combination in the American Chinese repertoire, but that doesn't make it any less delicious. In most restaurants, you'll find it served with rice, but I like to stir-fry it with hearty lo mein noodles.

Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe (1)

The thickest variety of egg noodles, lo mein is great for stir-fried dishes with hearty flavors and rich sauces. Because the noodles are thick and dense, they're never as springy or bouncy as thinner noodles, which can be a good thing if you plan on making this dish ahead: lo mein's biggest advantage is that it holds up well to time, making it the perfect option for a buffet, a potluck, or when traveling.

The recipe starts with marinating beef in my basic meat marinade, which includes soy sauce, corn starch, Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, and sesame oil. It's designed to help improve browning and bring out the meaty flavors of the beef.

While the beef marinates in the fridge, I par-cook my noodles. All egg noodles should be par-boiled in water before stir-frying (though be careful, some brands sell their noodles pre-boiled and ready-to-fry). Lo mein noodles take about three minutes. After they're cooked, I briefly run them under cold water to chill them rapidly.

When they're ready to cook, I start with the beef, stir-frying it in a couple tablespoons of smoking hot vegetable oil just until it's browned all over and mostly cooked. Then I remove it to a separate bowl to let my wok re-heat for the broccoli.

You can stir-fry the broccoli in just oil, but I like to add a little bit of water so that the broccoli steams and turns bright green. A couple minutes and it can join the beef in the bowl.

Finally, I stir-fry the noodles, making sure to get the wok hot again. You can use a spatula to stir-fry, but chopsticks will work better, allowing you to separate any clumps of noodles that stick together without breaking them. Once the noodles are hot, I add a simple sauce made of sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and wine, before tossing all the ingredients back in together.

Give it a few more tosses, and it's ready to serve. Chewy, al dente noodles in a rich sweet-and-savory sauce, along with tender marinated slices of beef and bright green broccoli florets. So much better than take out!

April 2014

Recipe Details

Stir-Fried Lo Mein With Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Active30 mins

Total40 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

For the Beef:

1/2 pound flank or skirt steak,sliced thin for stir-frying
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Shaoxingwine
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
See Also
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For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Shaoxingwine
1 tablespoon water

For the Noodles:

Kosher salt
1 pound freshlo mein noodles
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

Directions

For the Beef: Combine beef, salt, sugar, pepper, wine, soy sauce, oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss with fingers to coat. Set in refrigerator to marinate.
For the Sauce: While the beef marinates, combine sesame oil, light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, wine, and water in a small bowl. Stir with a fork and set aside.
For the Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring with chopsticks, until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water until chilled. Drain well and set aside.
When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add beef, spread it out with a spatula, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Toss and cook, stirring frequently, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Add another tablespoon oil to the wok and heat over high heat until smoking. Add the broccoli and season with a couple pinches of salt. Cook, stirring, until very lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring, until broccoli is steamed and water has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with beef.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil over high heat until smoking. Add the noodles. Using tongs or chopsticks, cook the noodles, stirring and mixing constantly until the noodles are coated in oil, about 1 minute. Add the sauce and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats the noodles, about 1 minute longer. Add the garlic, broccoli, and beef and continue cooking until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Serve immediately.