One of my favorite Chinese dishes is lo mein, which means mixed noodles. Noodles are a staple of Chinese cooking and are served at birthday dinners because they represent long life.
The dish has a smoky flavor produced by stir-frying in a very hot wok. Restaurants use special wok burners to achieve high heat, which is difficult to duplicate at home. I find that by mixing a little sesame oil in just before serving, you can capture some of this smoky flavor.
It takes a few minutes to prepare the ingredients, but only 5 minutes to stir-fry. Fresh snow peas add texture to the dish.
Oyster sauce flavors this dish. I find it’s a tasty condiment and use it to flavor meat, vegetables and other stir-fry dishes.
BEEF LO MEIN
Serves 2
3/4 pound grass-fed beef tenderloin
3 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles
3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided use
1 cup sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 pound fresh snow peas, cut in half if large (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Trim beef of visible fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add noodles to boiling water. As soon as the water comes back to a boil, drain.
Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add onion and stir-fry 1 minute. Add beef, garlic and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and bean sprouts. Toss another minute. Add the drained noodles. Move the ingredients to the sides of the wok making a hole in the middle. Add oyster sauce to the hole. Bring the ingredients to the middle and continue stir-frying 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Toss well and serve.