Beef Chow Mein

Warren Zevon's surreal 1978 ditty won BBC Radio 2's 'Greatest Opening Song Line' vote with its arresting start: 'Saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand/ Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain/ He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's/ Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein.' Perhaps this recipe would have kept him satisfied.

Preparation time :	20 minutes, plus marinating
Cooking time :	20 minutes
Total time :	40 minutes, plus marinating

Serves: 4

Ingredients

½ tsp clear honey
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
2 tsp cornflour
250g Chinese egg noodles
300g sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into strips
50ml chicken stock
¼ tsp white pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp fresh root ginger, in thin strips
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
3 salad onions, finely chopped
100g shiitake mushrooms, quartered
125g pak choi

Method

1. Mix together the clear honey, ½ tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine and 1 tsp cornflour. Use this to marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 20 seconds, stirring. Drain and moisten with the remaining ½ tsp sesame oil.
2. Mix the remaining sauces, rice wine and cornflour with the stock and white pepper; set aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a flat-bottomed wok. Add the noodles and cook for 5–7 minutes until the underside is golden. Flip the noodle 'cake' over and cook for about 3 minutes, until pale gold. Place on a warm plate.
3. Add 1 tbsp oil to the wok, heat until just smoking and add the steak. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then tip out onto a plate with any juices.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil; add the ginger, garlic and salad onions; after 30 seconds, add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the pak choi, stir-frying until wilted. Throw in the reserved sauce mixture, bring to the boil, and return the steak to the pan. Tip over the noodles and serve.