Categories: Asian
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying, plus 3 tbsp.
- 12 oz. wonton wrappers, cut into 1/8-inch strips
- Salt
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1/4 cup shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp. black bean paste
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp plus 2 pinches black pepper
- 1 large onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips
- 3 ribs celery, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 4 oz. shiitake or button mushrooms, stems removed or trimmed and caps thinly slices
- 1 1/3 lbs. ground pork or beef
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
Directions
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Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot to 350. Working in batches, fry the wonton strips until golden, about 30 seconds, stirring so they cook evenly. With a slotted spoon, transfer the fried wontons to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, and season lightly with salt. Set aside while you make the gravy.
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In a medium bowl, combine the stock, wine, black bean paste, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper, and stir to mix well. Set aside.
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Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the 3 tbsp. vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery, and mushrooms, and season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the veggies are crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
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Add the ground meat to the hot skillet and season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring with a spoon to break up any clumps, until the meat is nicely browned, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Stir the stock mixture, then add it all at once to the pan, and cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the veggies and, when they are just heated through, serve the chow mein sauce in large bowls spooned over a mound of the crispy noodles.