Roast Pork Lo Mein (叉烧捞面)

So you’ve successfully made Char Siu Pork for your guests, but there’s a chance that there are some leftover slices, still coated in that gorgeous glaze. What to do? There are so many options that you have for quick-to-cook yet stylish dinners for the rest of the week. For example, steamed char siu bao buns, baked BBQ pork buns, XO char siu fried rice, or even pork lo mein to create a one-pan dinner. 

I always prefer a homemade lo mein over takeout from a Chinese restaurant. Because I like to load the noodles up with a lot of vegetables, creating a divinely filling and balanced meal that has a variety of great textures. 

Ingredients

What type of noodles to use 

The best noodles for pork lo mein are fresh lo mein noodles. They are thick egg noodles that are quite bouncy and chewy. You can find them at Chinese markets or large Asian markets such as H Mart. They are usually stored in the refrigerated or freezer section. 

If the fresh type of lo mein is not available, dried lo mein is another good option and you can easily find them on Amazon or even at regular supermarkets. 

Udon noodles are a good alternative if neither type of lo mein is available. Although they don’t contain eggs, udon noodles have a nice thick texture that is similar to that of lo mein noodles.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook, you should have everything prepared and chopped:

• Noodles: You might not be able to use a full pack of noodles and that’s OK. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan.
• Mixed sauce: This recipe uses a rich brown sauce with a chicken stock base. It includes oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine and light soy sauce for umami, and dark soy sauce to add a deep brown color to the noodles.
• Char siu: If you don’t have char siu, you can use pork tenderloin to cook this dish. See the footnote in my recipe for this adaptation.
• Carrots: I like to add carrots for their color.
• Napa cabbage: It’s one of my favorite veggies for lo mein, to create a crunchy yet tender texture that soaks up the sauce.
• Bean sprouts: For its crisp texture. 
• Shiitake mushrooms: They add umami and a chewy texture to the noodles.
• Green onions: They add fragrance and natural sweetness to the dish.

How to cook

1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions minus one minute, so the noodles will be al dente.

2. Cook aromatics, shiitake mushrooms and carrots. It infuses fragrance to the oil, and allows the harder vegetable a longer cooking time.

3. Stir fry the napa cabbage until it just begins to soften, but is not very tender. The napa cabbage will keep cooking after you add the sauce. You don’t want to cook it too much at this point, as it could be soggy by the end of cooking.

4. Move the vegetables to a plate, briefly cook the char siu pork, then remove it, too. It’s important to transfer these ingredients to a plate and add them back later. So your pan won’t be overcrowded when cooking the noodles.

5. Toss the noodles with oil and the sauce. 

6. Cook the bean sprouts, then transfer them to the plate with the other cooked vegetables, roast pork and scallion greens.

7. Now toss everything together. This is where you want to taste the noodles and some veggies together. You can sprinkle some more salt to adjust the seasoning. If the vegetables are still a bit tough, cover the pan and steam everything together for 1 to 2 minutes. Steaming is a very fast way to cook the ingredients through and helps them further release flavor into the noodles. Because we slightly under-boiled the noodles earlier, the noodles can withstand a little more cooking and won’t become soggy. 

Now you’ll have extra loaded roast pork lo mein with springy noodles, tender-crisp vegetables, and a rich taste that’s full of fragrance.

How to serve

1. Serve roast pork lo mein as a main dish with a simple side of Chinese soup, like egg drop soup or hot and sour soup.
2. Serve chili oil or pickled vegetables (such as pickled daikon, or pickled cucumber) on the side for extra zing.
3. Make it part of a larger Chinese dinner spread with stir-fried greens and dumplings.

Frequently asked questions

Other delicious noodle recipes

• Chinese Beef Chow Mein (牛肉炒面)
• Chicken Chow Mein (鸡肉炒面)
• Beef Chow Fun (干炒牛河)
• Chicken Mei Fun
• Singapore Noodles (星洲炒米粉, Singapore Mei Fun)

Roast Pork Lo Mein (叉烧捞面)

By Maggie Zhu

4.91 from 10 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Roast pork lo mein is one of my favorite comfort dishes that transforms leftover Chinese BBQ pork into a brand-new meal. It combines tender slices of char siu with springy noodles, crisp vegetables, and a glossy savory sauce.

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 10 oz fresh lo mein noodles (or 8 oz / 225 g dried lo mein noodles)

Sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Stir Fry

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 oz char siu , sliced into thin strips (*Footnote 1)
• 1 (2 oz) carrot , cut into thin strips
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms , rehydrated and sliced thinly
• 4 green onions , cut into 1 inch lengths, whites and greens separated
• 1/4 (1/2 lb) napa cabbage , slice white part 1/2” thick and greens 1” thick (yield 4 cups sliced)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups bean sprouts

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Instructions

• Boil the noodles according to the package instructions minus 1 minute, until al dente. Rinse with tap water to stop cooking, drain, and set aside. (*Footnote 2)
• Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat in a 12” pan (or a wok). Once hot, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and green onion whites, and saute for 2 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
• Next, add the sliced napa cabbage and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the cabbage starts to soften. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to mix. Turn to low heat and transfer all the vegetables to a large plate.
• Add the char siu strips and turn to medium heat. Cook until the edges are lightly browned, then transfer it to the plate with the vegetables.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the noodles. Toss the noodles to coat evenly with oil. Pour in the sauce and toss again to coat. Add the bean sprouts and toss again, 1 minute or so.
• Add back the vegetables and char siu, and the scallion greens. Toss to mix again. Taste the noodles and vegetables. Adjust seasoning by sprinkling a little more salt if needed. If the vegetables are still too tough, cover the pan and steam for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked to your preferred texture. Transfer to serving plates and serve as a main dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. You can use other types of cooked pork, like pulled pork, to cook this dish and get a great result too. If using uncooked pork, pork tenderloin is the best option. Thinly slice the pork against the grain into 1/8” (3 mm) pieces, marinate with 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. When cooking the pork, add 1/2 tablespoon oil first, and sear until just cooked through.
2. If you’re using a wok to make this dish, you can boil the noodles in the wok. It’s usually faster this way because you will need less water to cook the noodles.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 457kcal, Carbohydrates: 62.3g, Protein: 26.3g, Fat: 13.1g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 724mg, Potassium: 723mg, Fiber: 3.9g, Sugar: 11.1g, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 4mg

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