The Best Cut Of Beef For Traditional Lo Mein And How To Season It

If you're a fan of Chinese-American food, chances are you've had (and enjoyed) lo mein. The noodle dish is a saucy, satisfying component of an all-star Chinese takeout lineup. Thin noodles are tossed with vegetables and your protein of choice in a savory, aromatic, and slightly sweet sauce that's the perfect complement to orange chicken or honey walnut shrimp. When it comes to the protein, menus will usually give you the choice of beef (one of the most traditional options), chicken, pork, or shrimp. If you want to try making this takeout favorite at home, chef Derek Chan from Mamahuhu has some expert tips on getting the meat just right — starting with the best cut. "We love using top sirloin at Mamahuhu."

Chef Chan says this cut of meat is great when thinly sliced, which is the best way to serve it in lo mein. Like any good beef, it needs a marinade, and he suggests one "with a little cornstarch, shaoxing wine and soy sauce," and even a bit of oyster sauce, if you want. Why these ingredients? "The shaoxing wine helps tenderize the beef, whilst the cornstarch gives the outside of the beef a lovely velvety texture," Chan told us. Oil poaching your meat will give it the best texture, but you can even throw in some leftover pre-cooked beef — Chan just advises to "try to add it toward the end of the cooking process so as to not overcook it."

The sauce for the dish is made with ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch to thicken it. Thin egg noodles are traditionally used, but if you can't find lo mein noodles, you can swap spaghetti in a pinch. You can also customize the veggies to your liking, but snap peas, bell pepper, and bok choy are common choices. Not into red meat? Chicken lo mein is just as good. 

While both are made with egg noodles, there are differences between chow mein and lo mein. The former uses pan-fried noodles with less sauce, while the latter adds noodles directly into the pan-fried veggies, sauce, and meat. Because the noodles are never fried on their own, they end up slipperier and softer than chow mein's chewier, oily, and slightly crispy noodles. Don't get the two confused next time you order Chinese!