Yakamein 

Wow I was searching NYT just last week for a yakamein recipe & voila this week they post one! Yakamein is such an under the radar nola gem. I made it just last week using a very similar recipe & it came out wonderfully. I used store bought beef broth as I usually only make chicken from scratch.delish! For anyone who doesn’t have Worcestershire sauce on hand - I used soy sauce in the marinade with a bit of brown sugar and it came out wonderfully.

Asian markets like HMart or 99 Ranch typically have thinly sliced beef that this recipe calls for.

For folks who'd like to try some of the best Yakamein anywhere and come down to New Orleans for either French Quarter Fest or Jazz Fest - look for Ms. Linda Green's ("The Ya-Ka-Mein Lady") booth. You can also find about more about her and the history of Old Sober here: neworleanssoulfood.com

This will work great with flank steak which when almost frozen—or just cold from the fridge—slices cross-grain on the bias easily. Probably wouldn’t need as much simmer time as the flank is pretty tender. I’ll try it this weekend.

This is awesome! Spicy, hot, savory, beefy and super satisfying with the spaghetti. Thank you for this! The only thing I added was fresh ginger instead of ground, a tsp of brown sugar and a small piece of celery root (don’t eat it) together with the celery ribs. So good!

There's a wonderful book about New Orleans food called Gumbo Tales by Sarah Rohan that has a whole chapter on Yakamein (history, variations, recipes, etc.). Highly reccomend for anyone interested in this or other foods specific to New Orleans.

My mother, an American-born Chinese woman who grew up in the early 1920's, recalled how she and her friends would drive from SF to a joint in San Jose just to eat "three sauce noodles", made with soy sauce, Worcestershire, and Ketchup.

I made this last night and it's amazing! I subbed the spaghetti for shirataki noodles and it was still fantastic. This recipe is easy to follow and so so satisfying. The simmer time at the end made the beef super tender, but it also gave the spices in the broth time to deepen meld beautifully. 100% recommend!

Make this just as written and you will be very happy. Got only broth, no big deal. No spaghetti, this would be good gumbo style around a mound of rice. Low and slow gives a toothsome but tender meat. I'd make it with thick soup or stroganoff noodles and bet it would be delicious. The combination of flavors is killer.

So the first time I made this, it was perfection. A fool, I decided to tinker with perfection. If you are feeling an impulse to be healthy and add three carrots to the mix, I implore you, resist it: You will add a sweetness that throws off the savoriness and umami of the broth. I am left forlorn with my memories of the first perfect pot of yakamein, along with my profound regrets. Allow me to be a cautionary tale. Make this as written.

Browned bone-in chuck roast in cast iron, set aside, lightly browned holy trinity in cast iron, added seasonings, cooked a minute longer, then transferred all to a deep sheet pan. Covered with parchment paper and foil, brought to a boil at ~450 in oven, reduced to a simmer at ~300, and braised for ~3 hours. Served with angel hair, broccoli, boiled eggs. All quantities followed except maybe added a bit more liquid (veg broth water). Skip salt; Cajun seasoning too salty as is. Made broth for 2.

Generally I have a hard time making a recipe when I have no reference for how it's actually supposed to taste- I honestly had no clue how it would turn out. BUT this recipe was absolutely amazing and the flavors melded together brilliantly. Next time I will ditch the chuck steak and use thin-sliced (shabu) beef for ease and add more broth (4 cups, after simmering, was nowhere near enough for 2 servings, let alone 4) and 1 Tbs each of ketchup/soy sauce/worcestershire should be mandatory!