This is a recipe that i have frustratingly tried to perfect for the past two years. Invariably, every type of dried lo mein noodle brand I’ve used disintegrates as soon as it hits the intense heat of the wok. I resorted to using dried Thai wide vermicelli noodles, thinking they would hold up — but that’s not a lo mein dish. My solution, as recommended by my local Asian grocer, was to use frozen lo mein noodles. They are a game changer and are easy to prepare. Ground pork may seem utilitarian compared to cuts of beef or chicken, but the flavor profile is unmatched.
A few other tricks for a successful stir-fry: Ensure that your vegetables are patted dry and at room temperature. Moisture is the enemy of a stir-fry; leaving you with a soggy, clumpy mixture left to stew instead of properly searing. Your wok must be screaming hot to achieve that smokey, charred essence known in Chinese cooking as Wok Hei — the breath of the wok. It is what defines a really great stir-fry. If cooking indoors, ensure your kitchen is properly vented with a high-output exhaust fan. Your wok is hot enough if a drop of cold water sizzles on contact. Ensure your cut vegetable pieces are evenly-sized so they cook evenly. Finally, DO NOT overload the wok… this is the biggest mistake people make and I’ve been guilty of it many times myself. Small, quickly-fried portions work best for achieving that proper high-temperature sear.
The cast-iron wok i use is manufactured by Lodge® and weighs 14 pounds. It is an irreplaceable workhorse due to its heavy, large surface area and ability to retain and evenly disperse heat. I prefer the concave interior bottom to flat-bottomed woks — and the best part is the exterior pedestal base is flat, allowing use on a stovetop without a silly makeshift wok ring. I mostly use it on my outdoor charcoal grill over direct heat and have been floored by its performance. Many of my Asian-inspired recipes including lower-temperature curries feature this wok. Its only disadvantage, due to the heft compared to thin carbon-steel woks, is that it responds slowly to real-time temperature changes needed in preparing recipes requiring a high-heat sear and then a quick simmer for sauce reduction or braising.
The Lao Gan Ma® sauce is essential. It is hard to find locally but can be purchased on Amazon. I’m going to straight-up state that this secret weapon should be illegal in the U.S. — an amazing Umami bomb with multiple uses.
Enjoy — this is one of my go-to recipes!
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound coarse-ground pork
1/2 tsp. white pepper
3 tbs. corn starch
2 tbs. Shaoxing wine
Pinch of salt
2 heaping tbs. Lao Gan Ma® chili oil with black beans
2 tbs. peanut oil
Sauce Ingredients (combine all in a small mixing bowl):
1 tbs. dark soy sauce
2 tbs. Tamari soy sauce
2 tbs. Oyster sauce
1/2 tsp. pork boullion
1/2 cup water from the mushrooms*
*6 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups warm water for 4-6 hours (reserve the water for the sauce)
6 dried Chinese Tien Tsin chili peppers (leave whole)
5 large cloves of garlic, slivered
1 shallot, sliced
1 small head broccoli florets
1 stalk celery, cut at a bias in 1/2” slices
1/2 medium white onion, cut into wedges
1 large carrot, cut into thin planks, about 2” in length
1 green bell pepper, cut into planks at a diagonal
2 red Fresno chilies, seeded and cut into strips
2 stalks scallion, cut into 1” pieces at a bias
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 package Twin Marquis® frozen Lo Mein noodles (the package is 16 total ounces)
DIRECTIONS:
Cut and prep all of your vegetables and aromatics and prepare the sauce ingredients so you have them ready and at hand. Wok cooking is known for its extremely fast stir-fry time. You do not want to be a stress-head scrambling for items at the last minute.
After steeping for 4-6 hours in water, cut the mushrooms in slices and aggressively squeeze out all of the water by placing them in paper towel. Set aside 1/2 cup of the water for the sauce mixture.
Prepare your noodle pot with 2 quarts of boiling water (see below). Timing this is one of the most important steps. Add the noodles and cook for no more than five minutes, so they are ready when the stir-fry is finished.
Prepare the pork mixture by adding the white pepper, corn starch, Shaoxing wine and salt in a mixing bowl. Break up the pork and mix evenly with a fork. Allow to come up to room temperature.
Preheat your wok on medium to high heat (depending on your range’s BTU output). When it starts to smoke, add the ground pork and 2 tbs. Lao Gan Ma black bean chili sauce. Break up the pork and evenly spread around the wok so it sears, stirring occasionally. When evenly seared and no longer pink, remove and transfer to a bowl.
Next, add 2 tbs. peanut oil to the wok and scrape up any charred bits from the bottom. Add the Tien Tsin peppers and stir until fragrant — about 30 seconds — do not burn them. Add the garlic and shallot and stir to combine for no more than one minute so it doesn’t burn. Add the onion and continue to stir until slightly carmelized.
Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until just crisp-tender.
Add the sauce ingredients, including the 1/2 reserved water from the mushrooms.
Drain and stir the noodles into the wok with the seared pork to combine.
Add the tsp. of sesame oil and stir to evenly coat.
Garnish with sliced scallion on top.
Serves: 2-4
NOTES: You can use the whole package of noodles but it’s a lot. The corn starch helps to crisp the pork while also adding a binder component as a thickener for the sauce. Sliver the garlic vs. mincing it so it doesn’t burn. Watch the amount of cooking oil you use; too much creates an unattractive presentation and also prohibits high-temperature searing. (The Lao Gan Ma black bean sauce is also oil-based.)
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