Serves a Crowd

Shredded Pork and Chinese Celery Lo Mein

by:
April  8, 2010
0
0 Ratings
Shredded Pork and Chinese Celery Lo Mein
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

I had a Korean dumpling once that was stuffed with pork and Chinese celery and it has haunted me ever since. The pork and celery go together for me like bread and butter. I find it to be a wonderful combination. I have not seen anything quite like this although I must add I have never been to Korea where it may be more prevalent. I used fresh Hong Kong style egg noodles but I am guessing just about any noodle would do just fine. —thirschfeld

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, julienned
  • 3 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 cup green onion, sliced thinly
  • 3 cups Chinese celery, stem and leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 cups cooked shredded fatty pork
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sherry
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce, less salt variety
  • 2/3 cup chicken or pork stock
  • 16 ounces Fresh Hong Kong Style thin egg noodles
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
  1. Have all the ingredients chopped and ready on a tray next to the stove.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  3. Heat a 14 inch wok or saute pan over high heat. Add the oil and then the onions. Cook until they start to caramelize. Add the garlic and stir.
  4. Add the Chinese celery, pork and half the green onions. Stir to combine and continue to saute and stir until the celery becomes tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Add the rice wine and let the alcohol burn off. Then add the soy and stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat.
  6. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. When they have finished cooking remove a half cup of the cooking liquid and then drain the noodles. Add the noodles to the pork and celery. Add the sesame oil and toss to combine and if needed add a little noodle cooking liquid to thicken the sauce or add volume if it has reduced too much. Serve in a bowl or bowls and garnish with the remainder of the green onions.
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  • Maike Gabriela Lüdenbach
    Maike Gabriela Lüdenbach
  • cookinginvictoria
    cookinginvictoria
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • monkeymom
    monkeymom
  • thirschfeld
    thirschfeld

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18 Reviews

Patrick F.
Patrick F. April 3, 2015
This is a great basic recipe. I used thinly sliced pork belly for the meat, sliced ginger, and shredded carrots as well.
 
Maike G.
Maike G. December 28, 2014
It was relatively easy to make, I also changed the ingredients a bit to my convenience but compared to most of the other asian dishes, I found it easy to sub and very simple to prepare. Great and full of flavor!
 
Claire C.
Claire C. June 2, 2013
CeCe
Can you tell me what you use for the fatty pork? What can I use for Chinese celery? We don't live near a Chinese market? Could you use lo mein noodles instead of the Hong Kong style egg noodles? Thank you.
 
Noneof Y.
Noneof Y. February 12, 2013
Can you tell me how to prepare the shredded, fatty pork? Also what cut of pork should I use?
 
Ana C.
Ana C. January 31, 2012
Step #6 doesn't make sense. Are you removing the noodles from the pork/celery mix, removing half the liquid from the pan, draining the noodles, then putting them back in? Seems very tedious and potentially dangerous with hot liquid splashing around. Traditionally, lo mien is made by boiling the noodles separately from the ingredients, then mixing the cooked noodle into the ingredients as the last step.
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld January 31, 2012
You do cook the noodles seperate, drain them, just like you say but I have you save a half cup of the cooking liquid and use it to thicken the sauce, because the starch in the noodle water is great for that.
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld January 31, 2012
Ana, i am doing exactly what you say, cooking the noodles separately. Sorry it wasn't so clear. In step two the boiling water is for the noodles. Step 6 is where You cook them like the package instructions say, then drain them, you can cool them if you want or add the right back hot to the wok. I have you save a 1/2 cup of the noodle cooking water because it contains starch and adding it to the sauce thickens it when you bring the sauce back to a boil. Hope that helps.
 
cookinginvictoria
cookinginvictoria February 7, 2011
My five-year-old daughter was learning all about Chinese New Year at kindergarten, and she requested a special Chinese New Year dinner. As part of our celebration last night, I made this recipe. Wow -- it really is wonderful, so vibrant and full of flavor. Even my daughter enjoyed it, and she's a pretty hard sell when it comes to ethnic food.

I changed the recipe a bit -- hopefully not too much. I couldn't find Chinese celery and didn't have time to run to our city's Chinatown, so I used a mix of regular celery (with lots of leaves) and fennel. I also incorporated some of AntoniaJames's suggestions and added julienned carrots and minced ginger to the stir fry pan, along with some julienned red pepper. I look forward to making this dish again -- next time I will make sure to use real Chinese celery!

Also, just wanted to say how much I enjoy your recipes. They always look and sound so scrumptious!
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 15, 2010
Made this again the other night. Used a piece of pork shoulder that I'd braised in a sauce based on monkeymom's caramelized pork for bánh mì. All that drippy salty-sweet porky goodness elevated this to new heights. So tasty!! ;o)
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames September 24, 2010
Made this yet again last night, but with thinly sliced beef, which I very quickly stir fried independently, for about five seconds, then removed and added at the very end when tossing the noodles. Also added julienned carrot (cooked with the celery) and whole sugar snaps -- small ones which I blanched in the same water I later used for the noodles. I used pork stock because that was handy. So delicious!! This is without question one of the best new recipes I've tried in a long, long time. ;o)
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld September 24, 2010
I bet it was great with those additions. I have garden full of sugar snaps and snow peas that will be frozen for winter but I have been thinking about this dish with that addition
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames September 24, 2010
Oh I forgot, I also added some minced ginger, too. Love, love, love this recipe. It's up there with the best of any in Naomi Duguid's and Jeffrey Alford's books, and those are all excellent, well-conceived and well-written recipes. I also have you to thank for introducing me, indirectly via healthierkitchen, who was inspired by this, to Chinese celery. For that I am forever indebted to you. ;o)
 
John
John August 24, 2018
Topped & tailed snow or sugar snap peas work well, added to the noodles for their last 3 minutes of cooking.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames August 9, 2010
Made this on Saturday. The family went absolutely wild over it. Their only comment -- more celery!! Our local Chinese celery has very slender stalks, with profuse, richly flavored dark green leaves. I find that I'm putting the leaves in a lot of non-Asian type dishes, because the leaves have such a beautiful flavor and compliment so many non-Asian herbs and aromatics so well. Next time, I'm buying two or three bunches!! Also, for the record, I put in about two tablespoons of finely julienned fresh ginger, cooked with the celery, as well as two hefty carrots, julienned the traditional way, to give the dish a bit more color. This recipe is such a keeper!! ;o)
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld August 9, 2010
I am glad you liked it. I like your additions too. I thought about putting more ingredients into it but in the end decided not too. I am sure as time passes I will put these in as well and then probably some other stuff as well.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames August 4, 2010
By the way, did you see that Mark Bittman's column today in the New York Times features a recipe in which Chinese celery is the primary interesting ingredient? I'm totally in love with the stuff . . . it's one of those things that makes me shake my head and ask, "Why haven't I ever used this before? Why did I not even know that it exists?" The Chinese celery I get down in Chinatown (in Oakland, a short drive away) has very thin stalks and dark green, vibrant leaves, and lots of them. I can get really nice fresh Chinese noodles at the same place that sells the best looking Chinese celery, so this is definitely on the menu this week! ;o)
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld August 9, 2010
Yes I saw the article and have already made the salad but with regular celery. I can't wait to try it with Chinese celery.
 
monkeymom
monkeymom April 8, 2010
YUM!!!!!