Beef Lo Mein - Khin's Kitchen - Chinese Noodles Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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.

“Lo mein usually uses the fat, chewy noodles, while chow mein uses the thin type of noodles that sometimes contain egg.” Lo mein uses fresh noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, while chow mein uses dried noodles that are parboiled for five to six minutes.

Worst: Lo Mein

This mound of noodles has about half the carbohydrates you need all day. The noodles are made from white flour, which raises your blood sugar faster than fiber-rich whole grains. Plus, they're cooked with oil and soy sauce, so you get extra fat and sodium.

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!

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.).

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.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook and stir celery, carrots, onion, and green onions in hot oil until slightly tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spaghetti and soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

What types of noodles are used for chow mein and lo mein? Traditional lo mein recipes usually call for fresh (not dry) noodles that are thick and chewy. On the other hand, chow mein can be made with both fresh and dried noodles, but these noodles are much thinner which makes them great for stir-frying in a wok.

Which is healthier, noodles or fried rice? ›

Steamed or boiled rice is healthier for many reasons, not least because noodles tend to be cooked in sauce. Fried rice will also often contain soy sauce or other flavour enhancers, so treat with caution.

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.

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. This removes any surface starch, preventing sticky noodles.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that has been widely used for roughly 100 years ( 1 ). In addition to being naturally present in certain foods, it's a common food additive in Chinese recipes, canned vegetables and soups, and other processed goods.

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.

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.

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

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.