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Beef Lo Mein

A classic stir-fried noodle dish, just about the paradigm. You can make this with pork, chicken, shrimp, or any other bit of meat or fish you have or keep it entirely vegetarian; it’s eminently flexible and an important part of every home cook’s repertoire. The variation that follows is a traditional dish for New Year’s celebrations and wedding banquets. E-fu noodles, which are long, thin, flat egg noodles, symbolize long life. Most Asian groceries carry them, but if you cannot find them, regular egg noodles are fine too. The meat will be easier to slice thinly if you freeze it for 30 to 60 minutes first. (This is always the case with any boneless meat or poultry.)

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

Salt to taste
1/2 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles
3 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
1/2 pound sirloin (New York) strip steak, very thinly sliced and cut into 2-inch-long strips
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, tops only, cut into bite-sized florets
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, roughly chopped, or shelled peanuts, optional
  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the noodles until tender but not mushy, then drain and rinse. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil to prevent sticking and set aside. Soak the meat in the soy sauce.

    Step 2

    Put 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a deep skillet, preferably nonstick, and turn the heat to high. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring almost constantly. Remove this mixture from the pan.

    Step 3

    Add the remaining oil and turn the heat to high. Drain the meat (reserve the soy sauce) and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Add the reserved soy sauce, along with the chicken stock, and stir. Add the drained noodles, vegetables, and nuts if desired. Toss to mix and reheat, then serve.

  2. Stir-Fried Noodles with Chives and Mushrooms

    Step 4

    reg替代新鲜或干E-fu鸡蛋面条ular egg noodles. Omit the beef, onion, broccoli, red bell pepper, and cashews. Add 1 bunch of Chinese chives, cut into 2-inch lengths (about 2 cups), and 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced. In step 2, add the chives and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and stock and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the noodles, toss to reheat, and serve.

The Best Recipes in the Worldby Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbusterThe Best Recipes in the World(Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestsellerHow to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, ofSimple to SpectacularandJean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef.Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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