Savory Chinese Pork Chow Mein with Vegetables

On our way to my brother-in-laws birthday party this past Saturday, Mighty Moe and I took a quick detour to the International store and we picked up some Yakisoba and Chow Mein Noodles along with some other pantry staples. Noodle dishes are savory and pretty quick to cook, it's the prep work that can take some time. 

Last night I decided to make some Pork Chow Mein using up some of my precious bounty of zucchini and snow peas from the garden. I made this in about 40 minutes. This is a pretty basic traditional recipe. If you prefer the PF Chang style of greasy noodles this recipe isn't for you. The cooking technique they use is easy and if you send me a comment I'll share. But I'm going with the healthier route this time.  Remember the pork can be substituted with chicken, shrimp or beef. That's what I love about many Asian noodle dishes and marinades, they infuse well with whatever you have on hand and the "heat" factor can be customized by simply adding red chili sauce or dried red chili peppers before serving.

Ingredients

1 Package of Chow Mein Noodles

2 1/2 to 3 cups of Pork, thinly sliced (or Chicken, shrimp, beef)

1 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced

1/2 medium yellow or sweet onion, sliced

2/3 cup carrots, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup of snowpeas

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (any type works)

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon dark thick soy sauce

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoon corn or tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon white granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

dash of salt

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive or canola or vegetable oil

Directions 

Prepare Chow Mein Noodles by package directions. 

I used a large mixing bowl and added very warm tap water--enough to cover the noodles. 

The package says soak for 2 minutes but I normally soak mine for 5 minutes. 

Drain well and set the noodles aside. You'll add these later to the pot/skillet with the cooked sauce. Time to prep.

Chop up and slice all your veggies and meat. Set aside next to the stove area for quick access.

Mince the garlic and ginger. Heat oil in large skillet/pan or wok on high heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger and sugar stir until lightly brown and fragrant. Add the pork (or whichever meat you're using). Brown all sides of meat. Add the sesame oil. You'll notice the garlic and ginger have begun to caramelize and the bottom of the pan will become slightly sticky. This is good! 

Add the yellow/sweet onion slices and stir. Now add 1/2 cup of the stock, thick soy, oyster sauce and stir in the cornstarch. Add the white and black pepper and dash of salt along with all of the vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium and add the rest of the stock. Now add the Chow Mein noodles and toss making sure to cover each noodle with the sauce. Tip: If the vegetables soaked up too much sauce, add alittle more stock to avoid a dry dish. 

I find using chopsticks or 2 forks to be the most effective in tossing noodle dishes.  Once the noodles are tossed turn off heat. Transfer to large platter. Add red chili sauce or red chili pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy.