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Pork Lo Mein Bowl for Two

By Sam Block

Published on August 20, 2025

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Pork Lo Mein Bowl for Two

Ingredients

1 teaspoon five-spice powder 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced thin6 ounces fresh Chinese noodles or dried angel hair pasta1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, plus extra for serving2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided6 scallions, whites parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, minced2 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), halved2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Before You Begin

You can use any thin fresh Chinese egg noodles in this recipe; boil them until just tender but still chewy.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil together in medium bowl, then stir in 1 trimmed and thinly sliced pork tenderloin to coat; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add 6 ounces fresh Chinese noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve ⅓ cup cooking water, drain noodles, and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside.
  2. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1½ teaspoons sesame oil, 1½ tablespoons hoisin, 1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, and reserved cooking water together in bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cooked noodles; half of hoisin mixture; 6 scallions, white parts thinly sliced and green parts cut into 1-inch pieces; 1½ teaspoons grated ginger, and 1 minced garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to individual serving bowls, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside until ready to serve.
  3. Heat 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork and cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil and remaining pork; transfer to clean bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
  4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in again-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 4 halved heads baby bok choy, cut side down, and 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook until bok choy begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Flip bok choy and continue to cook, covered, until second side is browned and bok choy is tender throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Top noodles with pork and bok choy and drizzle with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds and serve with extra chili garlic sauce.
Pork Lo Mein Bowl for Two
Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Pork Lo Mein Bowl for Two

Headshot of Sam Block
By Sam Block

Published on August 20, 2025

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Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced thin
6 ounces fresh Chinese noodles or dried angel hair pasta
1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
6 scallions, whites parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), halved
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Ingredients

1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced thin
6 ounces fresh Chinese noodles or dried angel hair pasta
1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
6 scallions, whites parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), halved
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Ingredients

1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced thin
6 ounces fresh Chinese noodles or dried angel hair pasta
1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
6 scallions, whites parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), halved
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Why This Recipe Works

Lo mein is full of everything we love—seasoned noodles, seared pork, flavorful vegetables, and a salty-sweet sauce to coat. Rather than spend hours over barbecued pork, we opted for easy-to-cook tenderloin that we marinated in soy sauce, five-spice powder, and sesame oil. Quickly stir-frying our precooked noodles with scallions, ginger, garlic, and a spicy sauce allowed them to develop deep flavor in just a few seconds. For a finishing touch as beautiful as it is flavorful, we added baby bok choy, which we cooked to crisp-tender using a combination of searing and steaming.

Before You Begin

You can use any thin fresh Chinese egg noodles in this recipe; boil them until just tender but still chewy.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil together in medium bowl, then stir in 1 trimmed and thinly sliced pork tenderloin to coat; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add 6 ounces fresh Chinese noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve ⅓ cup cooking water, drain noodles, and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside.
  2. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1½ teaspoons sesame oil, 1½ tablespoons hoisin, 1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, and reserved cooking water together in bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cooked noodles; half of hoisin mixture; 6 scallions, white parts thinly sliced and green parts cut into 1-inch pieces; 1½ teaspoons grated ginger, and 1 minced garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to individual serving bowls, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside until ready to serve.
  3. Heat 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork and cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil and remaining pork; transfer to clean bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
  4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in again-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 4 halved heads baby bok choy, cut side down, and 1 tablespoon water, cover, and cook until bok choy begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Flip bok choy and continue to cook, covered, until second side is browned and bok choy is tender throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Top noodles with pork and bok choy and drizzle with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds and serve with extra chili garlic sauce.

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