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

FAQs

What is beef lo mein sauce made of? ›

In a bowl, mix together your Beef Lo Mein sauce by combining light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, water, and msg.

“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.

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!

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 typically uses fresh noodles, while chow mein can be made with fresh or dried. Lo mein noodles are typically thick and chewy. Stir-fried noodles in chow mein are thinner and cooked to a golden crisp.

You want to buy an egg noodle or pasta that's relatively thin and has some tooth. Some common names will be lo mein, chow mein, egg noodles or pancit noodles. Most markets have Japanese yaki soba noodles in the cold case, and those would work perfectly.

The best substitute for lo mein noodles are chow mein noodles because they are both essentially the same thing. In fact, lo mein and chow mein dishes are famously confused for each other and, while they are two separate meals with different preparation methods, the noodles used in both are the same.

Lo Mein noodles are fresh yellow noodles (usually labelled "egg noodles") that are about 3mm / 1/8" thick, sold in the fridge section of grocery stores. Dried noodles - use 200g/8oz uncooked ramen noodles or other dried noodles.

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.

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.

Why does lo mein hurt my stomach? ›

Most likely it's the MSG that a lot of Asian restaurants use to season their food. Some people don't tolerate it very well and some are allergic to it.

Largely this is a matter of personal taste since both dishes can be made to your preference. If you prefer lightly sauced noodles with some crunch and vegetables with some snap, chow mein might be the way to go. If you like a more comforting noodle with richly flavored sauce, lo mein may be the better option.

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.

Chow mein sauce is similar to what you'll find with lo mein, though you'll often find that prepared chow mein has less sauce in the finished dish. Sauce and noodles are added to the wok with the vegetables.

Chinese Sauces – FAQs

Hoisin sauce is made from fermented soybeans mixed with garlic, chilli, sesame, Chinese spices and vinegar. Char siu sauce is a condiment made from hoisin sauce, sugar, Chinese five spice powder, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, garlic and often also food colouring.

All you need is soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sesame oil. The flavor that is often missing in homemade chow mein is the tanginess. Black Vinegar is less harsh than regular vinegar, which gives the chow mein a subtle hint of tanginess that brings the dish together.

Chow mein and lo mein are both made with egg noodles, which contain wheat flour and eggs, just like Italian pasta. Lo mein is best made with fresh noodles, and chow mein can be made with either fresh or dried noodles.