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The Internets are great for healthy and fresh and refined. Today I need help being none of those things. I am trying to satisfy my partner's craving for cheap, greasy chicken lo mein. I know how to make chicken lo mein. The Internet is full of recipes that "aren't greasy like takeout" or "healthier and fresher!"

But what if I don't want healthy and fresh?

Does anyone have any suggestions for preparing egg noodles (or lo mein in particular) so the results are cheap-Chinese-restaurant-style greasy?

It's not just more oil, though it might be the type of oil. I suspect it also has something to do with the order and length of cooking the noodles vs the vegetables and meat. I think the vegetables also have to be slightly overcooked. In case it matters, I don't have a wok.

LoftyGoals
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  • Your question suggests you have already tried to simply be more generous with oil? – Stephie Nov 12 '20 at 06:12
  • I have. It makes it more oily, not more greasy. It's not being absorbed. – LoftyGoals Nov 12 '20 at 07:14
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    Interesting question, I'm curious to see if there are good answers as I like that style of noodles too. – GdD Nov 12 '20 at 08:33
  • Most Chinese cookery uses neutral oil, with a high smoke point, for wok cookery. What is your process? Are you tossing cooked noodles in a pan that contains condiments (+ oil)? – moscafj Nov 12 '20 at 11:45
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    Related: https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/28786/panda-express-style-chow-mein – Sneftel Nov 12 '20 at 11:52
  • FYI, I just talked to a local Chinese grocer who suggested corn starch might be part of the equation. – LoftyGoals Nov 12 '20 at 22:02
  • Corn starch is the basic 'shiny sauce' ingredient for Chinese take-away. It doesn't add 'greasy' though it does kind of homogenise the sauce in an easy way. – Tetsujin Nov 13 '20 at 19:02

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Are you starting with fresh noodles or dried?

Fresh are already 'greasier' than dried, so it may be a case of letting dried ones cool in the colander after their soak, in a good coating of oil, then adding towards the end of cooking as normal, just to re-heat.

One would imagine a take-away are not starting each portion of noodles from dried for every single order. They're already prepped & oiled so they don't stick.

Tetsujin
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