Pork Chow Mein (炒麵)

In Chinese cuisine, Chow Mein (pronounced chaomian in Mandarin) is basically stir fried noodles. Unlike "chow mein" often seen in Chinese takeouts here in the US, the noodles remain relatively soft, rather than crunchy. Please spread the word about what the dish really is. The noodles used here are Chinese egg noodles, which are a popular part of Cantonese cooking, often seen in wonton noodle soup. Good Chinese noodles are often hard to come by at regular supermarkets. If you can buy them dry, the usually come in a fun little "nest" shape as seen in the photo.

Chaomian is a very easy dish to make, and is definitely a staple for me. You can use whatever meat or vegetables that you like. Bok choy, for example, works great. Shrimp, chicken, char siu, or beef all work just fine for the protein. Here, I have an easy, basic version with just pork and green onions. The aromatic five spice powder used to season the pork creates some interesting flavors.

Ingredients

Pork

• 2 pieces boneless pork loin
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp five spice powder
• Black pepper

Noodles

• 4 "nests" Chinese egg noodles
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 bunch green onions
• Oil
• Salt

Instructions

For the pork, trim the excess fat off the sides of the pork loin. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the pork into thin strips. It actually helps if the pork is still very slightly frozen; this makes it easier to make good, even cuts. In a bowl, combine the pork with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and five spice. Grind a little black pepper on it, and mix together to coat. Set aside.

Get some salted water boiling. You can do this right in the wok if you want. Submerge the noodles and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Note that this is a lot shorter than the cooking time for semolina pastas. Drain and rinse the noodles in cold water, and set aside. While the noodles are cooking, chop the green onions into small pieces, up to the point where they start to get pale and firm.

Dry off the wok, and heat it on high. As with all wok cooking, the high temperature is important. Add some oil and swirl it around to coat the wok. Add pork and fry until all sides are well browned. Toss frequently. Add green onions and cook briefly. Add noodles and remaining soy sauce. Mix everything together. If you want, you can break up the long noodles a little with your stirring implement. Toss frequently so the noodles don't burn too much. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the wok frequently.

This recipe will serve two.