Why This Recipe Works

This restaurant-style beef chow mein is fast and easy to make at home. We start by marinating flank steak in a mixture of Shaoxing wine, salt, cornstarch, and a touch of baking soda. The cornstarch adds a little viscosity to the final sauce, while the baking soda raises the pH on the steak’s surface, which accelerates browning and also makes it more difficult for proteins to bond tightly, so the meat stays moist. A combination of oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and dark soy sauce builds a savory-sweet sauce that clings to the noodles as they’re tossed in the wok; the dark soy sauce also deepens its color. We use plenty of onion, carrot, and cabbage with aromatics to create layers of flavor and texture.

Before You Begin

Made from wheat and eggs, chow mein noodles are slender and pale yellow. The fresh kind can be found in the refrigerated section of Asian markets; alternatively, use 6 ounces of dried chow mein noodles. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, which is darker, more viscous, and less salty than regular soy sauce, you can sub in the regular kind.

Instructions

Whisk 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon table salt together in medium bowl. Cut 8 ounces flank steak, trimmed, with grain into 2 equal pieces, then slice each piece crosswise against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add beef to bowl with Shaoxing wine mixture and stir to coat; set aside.

Boil 8 ounces fresh chow mein noodles according to package directions. Rinse with tap water, drain, and set aside.

Whisk ¼ cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce together in second medium bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add beef in even layer and cook, without moving, until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Flip beef and cook until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves to now-empty wok and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 4 cups shredded green cabbage; ½ onion, thinly sliced; ½ cup 2-inch carrot matchsticks, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add noodles and toss to combine.

Pour sauce over noodles. Add 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, and cooked beef. Toss until sauce evenly coats all components and is fully absorbed. Serve.