This is better than Chinese takeout! Tender, thinly sliced flank steak, and lo mein noodles coated with a velvety sauce that is amazingly easy to make. The sauce has a secret ingredient too.
When you don’t live near a decent Chinese restaurant, you have to take matters into your own hands. Well, you take the matter into your kitchen. I’m tired of having mediocre Chinese food out. I miss the American Cantonese Chinese restaurants in my home town of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Living in Arizona has me missing some of my favorite ethnic cuisines which include Chinese and Greek food. While we did have some tasty food at a Greek festival, we have not found an authentic Greek restaurant. The same goes for Chinese food. I long for good eggrolls, not spring rolls, that have a touch of peanut butter mixed in the filling. If you have never had egg rolls this way, well you are missing out on the best damn thing!
As I have mentioned before in prior posts, I don’t usually cook Asian dishes. But recently, I was in a dinner rut and decided to make up a weekly menu to help guide me on what to make for dinner. Taking a cue from Taco Tuesday, I gave each day a designated theme, and Monday is for cooking Asian dishes. Check out my Pinterest board called, Better Than Takeout, which inspires me to explore new recipes.
In my search for cooking Asian cuisine at home, I’ve discovered two things. First, cornstarch helps seal moisture in the meat. Secondly, Shao Xing rice wine (which is nothing like rice wine vinegar, so don't mistakenly use that) is in practically every dish at a Chinese restaurant. Some recipes will suggest using sherry, but do yourself a favor and go to an Asian market and pick up a bottle of this rice wine. It gives dishes that indescribable flavor that you can’t put your finger on.
According to Serious Eats' article, Chinese Cooking 101, “cornstarch provides a light coating to meat that protects it slightly from the intense heat of the wok. This helps prevent overcooking and toughening of the outer layers of meat. The starch also acts as a binder and helps liquid ingredients, like soy sauce and shao xing wine, come together and bind to the meat. The results are more flavorful, tender, and evenly cooked pieces of meat.“
Before finding this “ancient Chinese secret” I have tried recipes using sherry and it doesn’t even compare. I bought a bottle of Shao Xing rice wine for under $4. This inexpensive ingredient will last a long time in your pantry and is worth the trip to an Asian market.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today was inspired by Carlsbad Cravings, a food blog that I follow. I cut out a few ingredients in the marinade, doubled the sauce, and added lo mein noodles. I have made this dish several times and I find that it is easier to mix the noodles, beef, and broccoli with the sauce in the pot used to cook the noodles in. Yes, it's another pot to clean, but it's large enough to hold all of the ingredients so you can mix everything. This is a fantastic, relatively quick, weeknight dinner. While the meat is tenderizing with the seasonings, prep the other ingredients, and cook the noodles. In less than 15 minutes you have a Chinese takeout meal in no time.
Until next time, friends! xo
Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
Adapted from Carlsbad Cravings
Serves 4
3 rolls of Lo mein noodles (the whole package), cooked to package directions. Set aside.
Peanut oil, or canola oil for stir-frying
Beef Rub:
1 pound (if slightly over, that's ok) flank steak, sliced thinly across the grain.
1 teaspoon hot Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Sauce:
2 tablespoons Shao Xing rice wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
10 tablespoons oyster sauce (about 2/3 of a cup)
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar (1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons corn starch
Broccoli:
3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
About a tablespoon, minced fresh ginger
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 cup water
2 to 3 green onions, sliced on diagonal for garnish
Spread the thinly sliced flank steak out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle cornstarch, garlic powder, ginger powder, and fine sea salt all over the slices. Distribute Asian chili sauce over the top. Using your hands or fork, toss the meat mixing all the of the seasonings. Let the beef sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. Mix well to dissolve the corn starch. Set aside. Cut the broccoli into florets and set aside. Slice the garlic, mince the ginger, and set aside. Slice the green onions, and set aside for the garnish. Cook the lo mein noodles according to directions. Remove noodles to a platter or serving bowl and set aside. Dispose of pasta water and reserve the pot. Add about a tablespoon of peanut oil to a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Working in batches, cook the meat until brown, and almost cooked through. Transfer the beef to a plate. Using the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-high and add some more peanut oil. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few seconds. Add broccoli, then water, and cover the pan. Let the broccoli steam for about 4 to 5 minutes. The broccoli should be firm, but tender. Add the noodles, beef, and broccoli back to the pot you used for the noodles. Mix in the sauce, and cook on medium-low to reheat everything. Using tongs, place noodles, beef, and broccoli on to a platter. Garnish with sliced green onions.
Comentarios