Lamb Chive Chow Mein (韭菜羊肉炒麵, Gau2 Coi3 Joeng4 Juk6 Caau2 Min6)

This recipe was updated on 13 Dec 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Lamb and chives make a great taste combination. Add some noodles and tofu and you have a satisfying dish.

The last noodle recipe I published, Beef Sugar Snap Pea Chow Mein (蜜豆牛肉炒麵, Mat⁶ Dau⁶ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶ Caau² Min⁶), I forgot to include the instructions to prepare the noodles (since corrected). The noodles just magically appeared! It’s amazing, since I reviewed the recipe more than once looking for errors and that certainly was a big one. So for this recipe, I didn’t forget!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

 

¾ lb.	375 g.	Lamb leg or shoulder meat (羊肉, joeng4 juk6), cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou1 daa2 fan2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
¾ lb.	375 g.	Green chives (韭菜, gau2 coi3), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
½	½	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung4 ziu1), cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
8 oz.	227 g.	One package marinated (five spice) bean curd (五香豆腐, ng5 hoeng1 dau6 fu6), cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
10.5 oz.	297 g.	One 20 oz. (566 g.) can bamboo shoot strips (筍, seon2), drained
½ lb.	250 g.	Bean sprouts (芽菜, ngaa4 coi3), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 lb.	500 g.	Chow mein noodles (炒麵, caau2 min6)
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

 

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Thick soy sauce (上珠油, soeng6 zyu1 jau4)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

 

Equipment

 

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Preparation Instructions

1. Prepare the lamb leg or shoulder meat by removing any bones, sinew, and excess fat, and cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces. The lamb pieces will be more irregular in shape if lamb shoulder is used as opposed to meat from the leg. Wet with water and add baking soda to the lamb, allow to tenderize for 15 minutes, and then wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
2. Marinate the lamb for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the lamb overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Wash and cut the green chives into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
4. Wash and cut ½ of a red bell pepper into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
5. Cut the marinated (five spice) bean curd into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
6. Open and drain the liquid from the can of bamboo strips.
7. Wash the bean sprouts.
8. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
9. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the thick soy sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package and until the noodles are al dente. Drain the noodles and set aside. If ready-made or fresh noodles are used, “fluff” the noodles to separate them (i.e. you don’t want put a single mass of noodles into the wok).
2. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the lamb pieces to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the lamb in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Set the lamb aside in a bowl.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the ginger and garlic. Quickly stir fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant before adding more oil and then the red bell pepper. Stir fry the ingredients and then remove them to the bowl with the lamb.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bean curd. Stir fry the bean curd and then remove them to the bowl with the lamb.
5. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bamboo shoots. Stir fry the bamboo shoots and then remove them to the bowl with the lamb.
6. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bean sprouts. Stir fry the bean sprouts and then remove them to the bowl with the lamb.
7. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil and then the noodles. The wok should be very hot before adding the oil and then the noodles. Noodles cooked in a restaurant wok (over much higher heat than that available in your kitchen) are served slightly burned, which gives the noodles an extra added flavor.  To try to emulate slightly burned noodles, try to put the noodles in one layer in the hot wok and add some liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine; but not too much liquid otherwise you’ll steam the noodles) to facilitate the heat transfer from the wok to the noodles, and leave the noodles alone. You want the noodles to get burned before adding more oil to the noodles and turning them over, repeating the process.
8. Add the green chives and the contents of the bowl with the lamb back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish.