Chinese language Beef Chow Mein (牛肉炒面)

May 19, 2024

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This simple beef chow mein recipe options tender juicy beef that melts in your mouth, together with saucy noodles and crisp veggies. It’s a straightforward and scrumptious technique to get a filling meal that everybody will love.

Homemade beef chow mein with peppers and onion

I do know why you’re right here. You wish to lower out the middle-man and get genuine Chinese language meals in your desk quick with out having to attend for supply or go choose it up. Thankfully, my Beef Chow Mein recipe is tremendous easy and fast. You’ll be consuming this model earlier than your order out of your neighborhood Chinese language restaurant arrives, so why not make it your self?

One factor that I’ve observed is that individuals draw back from cooking Chinese language meals as a result of they don’t have a wok. I’m right here to inform you that you simply don’t *want* a wok to make this recipe. You should use your skillet. Simply ensure your pan will get scorching sufficient and you employ loads of aromatics with my sauce recipes and I promise you, it would style like that Chinese language restaurant you’re keen on, however it is going to be quicker and cheaper!

Beef chow mein components

What noodles to make use of

Selecting the best noodle is essential to creating one of the best tasting beef chow mein.

The noodles are skinny and have a yellow shade. The primary components are wheat flour and eggs.

For those who stay near an Asian market, one of the best chow mein noodles are the recent sort. They’re normally labeled as chow mein noodles or chow mein pan fried noodles. You could find them in both the refrigerated or freezer part.

If the recent sort will not be out there, you need to use dried chow mein noodles as nicely. Many common grocery shops carry them lately (normally within the “ethnic” aisle). And you’ll even discover them on Amazon.

Different nice options embody Japanese noodles for yakisoba, spaghetti, udon noodles or Korean wheat noodles. These will all yield a distinct texture for the ultimate product however might be tasty nonetheless.

Which lower of beef to make use of

Flank steak typically works one of the best for this recipe, and it’s extra budget-friendly too. However in case you solely have more durable meat choices readily available, don’t stress it. You’ll be able to tenderize any robust beef by including about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda onto the meat after which including the marinade. So long as you don’t go loopy with the baking soda, you gained’t discover the style and it’ll assist tenderize your beef. Don’t overlook to slice it in opposition to the grain to get that melt-in-your-mouth buttery texture that makes this dish successful!

Mise en place

Whereas it could appear hectic at first to make Chinese language meals at residence, in case you put together your components and set them close by your range in order that they’re prepared if you end up, you’ll make your workflow go a lot extra easily.

Marinated beef
Aromatics (ginger, garlic, inexperienced onion)
Veggies (pepper, carrot, and bean sprout)
Chow mein noodles

Homemade beef chow mein in skillet and served in plates

Greens and their options

I used bean sprouts, carrots and peppers in my beef chow mein, however you can even use different greens relying on what you’ve got readily available. For instance:

Cabbage
Napa cabbage
Child bok choy
Chinese language broccoli
Snow peas
Bamboo shoots

How you can make beef chow mein

Boil the noodles based on the directions
Sear the meat and switch to a plate
Gently prepare dinner the aromatics to infuse oil
Prepare dinner the carrot
Prepare dinner the pepper and inexperienced onion
Add the cooked noodles and toss collectively
Add again the cooked beef and bean sprouts, pour within the sauce
Combine all the pieces collectively

Put together the noodles correctly

In case you are utilizing recent noodles resembling recent chow mein noodles or yakisoba, you solely want to softly rinse the noodles in heat water to loosen them up earlier than stir frying.

If utilizing semi-fresh noodles resembling Hong Kong Pan Fried noodles, you solely have to boil them for a minute or so, to softly prepare dinner them.

For dried noodles or spaghetti, prepare dinner till al-dente, or 1 to 2 minutes lower than the package deal directions. So the noodles may have a pleasant texture after the stir frying.

Key to genuine tasting beef chow mein

Use a big pan

You don’t want a wok to make this dish. However you do wish to use a pan that’s massive sufficient to carry all of the components. Take a look at my put up Wok vs Skillet to see the really helpful stir fry station setups and pans.

Don’t overcrowd the pan

Utilizing too many components within the pan will drop the pan temperature, ensuing within the components being steamed as an alternative of seared. The components within the recipe are the utmost quantity that I can slot in a 12.5” skillet. You’ll be able to barely cut back the veggies relying on what you’ve got readily available, however don’t add extra components than listed.

Maintain the pan scorching

Ensure you warmth up your pan highly regarded and maintain utilizing excessive (or medium-high) warmth to keep up the pan temperature. So the components might be correctly seared.

Use a beneficiant quantity of oil

For those who eat chow mein in a Chinese language restaurant, you’ll discover that the dish is normally on the greasy facet. I normally use much less oil in terms of residence cooking, for well being’s sake. However I additionally ensure to make use of sufficient oil so there’s a skinny layer of oil coating the noodles. That’s the way you get the dish to have extra aroma.

Use loads of recent aromatics

You’ll additionally wish to be sure to use loads of recent garlic, ginger, and inexperienced onion as a result of it provides your beef chow mein that genuine style. Aromatics are important in getting that Chinese language taste perfected. Plus, they’re good for you too!

How you can serve beef chow mein

You’ll be able to both serve the meat chow mein as a one-plate meal by itself, or you possibly can serve it as one of many fundamental dishes for a multi-course dinner.

To pair beef chow mein with different dishes, ensure to pick out quite a lot of components which have totally different texture and sauces to steadiness it. For instance, serve it with:

It actually doesn’t take very lengthy to make Beef Chow Mein. Having all the pieces you want measured and inside arm’s attain makes it very easy to attain genuine Chinese language meals perfection in your personal kitchen. When you make it the primary time, each time you make it would go quicker and smoother!

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