Get Your Grill On

Editor’s Note: OK boys and girls, this is a new one for me; Barbeque Chow Mein. Not only is this recipe and technique new to me, it comes to us from the newest addition to Get Your Grill On’s stable of fine writers. Please welcome Chilibrown. Be sure to check out Chilibrown’s biography on our Bios page. With recipes like this, I think Mr. Brown’s gonna make things interesting!

There is no reason to adjust your TV set. Yes, you read correctly. Barbequed Chow Mein with Asparagus and Beef. I have a fancy gadget made by Weber for a Weber. It is a Wok insert that is built to fit your Weber barbeque kettle. Asparagus is in season and I am “Radio goo-goo, Radio ga-ga” over the Green Shafts of Spring.

I made a short trip to our local International Market to buy fresh Chow Mein noodles and then to the Farmers Market for asparagus. I add some marinated beef and a few other ingredients. It is a fairly simple recipe. The secret is in your preparation. You need to slice, chop, marinade, precook and put everything in place (mise en place). Toss everything in your Wok and cook away.

Ingredients

• Fresh Chow Mein Noodles
• 1 lb top sirloin beef (cut into strips 1 1/2 inch by ½ inch)
• 1 lb bean sprouts
• ¼ mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• 1 lb asparagus (cut into 1 inch lengths on diagonal)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 bunch green onions (cut into ¼ inch lengths on diagonal)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (divided use)
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine or vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cloves garlic finally chopped
• 2 stalks celery (cut into 1 inch lengths on diagonal)
• 1 small onion (sliced )
• 12 ounces beef stock
• 2 tablespoons corn starch

The first step is to marinade the beef. Take a large zip lock bag and add your beef, garlic, 2 tablespoons green onion, sherry, ginger, sugar, 1 tablespoon of corn starch and ¼ cup soy sauce. Mix and place in refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Boil your noodles in salted water. When they hit the surface, take them off the fire and rinse under cold water.

The secret to wok cooking is to have all your ingredients ready. Chop and slice all the vegetables and place next to your cooking area.

Get the wok steaming friggin hot. Place a dollop of oil in the pan. You should see it start to pool and shimmer. Place your meat into the hot wok. It will seize and start to shimmy and shake. This is when you need to Stir and Fry with your Utensil. Stir that baby well.

Only cook it for a minute or two. Take it out and reserve is in a covered pan. Repeat with all the rest of the vegetables, except bean sprouts.

Put all the ingredients back in the Wok with bean sprouts, stock,cornstarch, 1/4 soy sauce and cover with lid Simmer for 10 minutes.

You will have one great Chow Mein.