As much as possible on this blog, I try to share full recipes – ones where you don’t have to jump around from one page to another to find the steps and ingredients you need to make a whole and delicious meal. And that’s what this slow cooked Chinese style pork loin with lo mein is – a complete dinner that everybody will enjoy.
The slow cooked Chinese style pork is marinated in soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey and shaoxing wine. This can be left to marinate for up to 48 hours, but as little as an hour will pack it full of flavour. The pork loin is then cooked low and slow until perfectly tender.
Lo Mein is a type of Chinese stir fry, similar to Chow Mein but the noodles are cooked beforehand and the noodles are thicker (I use udon for this). You can pack Lo Mein full of vegetables – I used mushrooms, broccoli and Choi sum – making this a great all round dish. Excellently, the Lo Mein sauce uses similar ingredients to the pork marinade, so you don’t need to buy lots of different things.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A complete dinner – protein, veg and noodles, all in one.
- Big, bold Chinese-inspired flavours.
- Mostly hands-off – the oven does the hard work.
- Uses easy-to-find ingredients.
- Comfort food that’s a bit special!
It’s perfect for a weekend meal, but easy enough for a midweek treat too.
The Ingredients
- Pork loin – this recipe uses pork loin, a lean cut of pork with just a thin layer of fat. It is delicate and to be cooked properly slowly, you must cook it at a really low temperature. If you have a meat thermometer, that will work well here. You will want the internal temperature of the pork to reach 66 degrees Celsius.
- Honey, shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce – these four ingredients make the marinade. They are all easy to find in mainstream supermarkets these days.
- Garlic, ginger – to start off the Lo Mein with plenty of flavour. A Lo Mein is a type of stir fry, and garlic and ginger bring so much base flavour to this wonderful dish.
- Tender stem broccoli, Choi sum, mushrooms – these are the vegetables I used in my Lo Mein, but there are many others you could use – bell peppers, shredded cabbage, pak Choi.
- Udon noodles – these are the best noodles for Lo Mein, in my opinion. However, you can use any noodles you like.
- Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce – three simple ingredients make the most beautiful sauce for the Lo Mein. Gorgeous!
Cooking Tips
- Marinate early Even an hour makes a difference, but if you can leave it overnight (or up to 48 hours), you’ll get even more flavour.
- Reduce the marinade Simmer the leftover marinade until it thickens to a glaze – this will take your pork from good to incredible.
- Rest the meat Don’t skip the resting time! It lets the juices redistribute, keeping the pork tender.
- Use high heat for the noodles The quick, hot stir-fry gives you that glossy, takeout-style finish.
- Don’t overcrowd the wok Cook in batches if needed so your vegetables stay crisp.
FAQs
Yes – pork shoulder will work really well. It has more fat and will turn out beautifully tender.
It adds that classic restaurant-style depth, but you can swap it for dry sherry or mirin if you prefer.
Absolutely. Cook the pork on low for 6–7 hours, then glaze under the grill before serving.
Slow Cooked Chinese Style Pork Loin with Lo Mein
Ingredients
For the pork
- 1 kilograms pork loin
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
For the Lo Mein
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 20 grams ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 200 grams tender stem broccoli
- 200 grams mushrooms shiitake, oyster or chestnut
- 200 grams Choi sum
- 800 grams udon noodles straight to wok variety
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
Instructions
- Mix together the pork marinade ingredients in a bowl. Put the pork in a high sided roasting dish and pour over the marinade. Leave for at least 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celsius.
- Pour the excess marinade from the roasting dish into a small saucepan. Put on a low heat and simmer until it thickens, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, put the pork in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes, remove from the oven and brush with some of the thickened marinade. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for one hour.
- Boil the kettle. Put the udon noodles into a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for 5-10 minutes, then drain.
- For the lo mein, heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
- Cut the broccoli, mushrooms and choi sum into 1-2 inch pieces and add to the wok. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Tip in the shaoxing wine. Let it bubble up, then add the noodles, oyster sauce and soy sauce. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously.
- To serve, spoon the lo mein into bowls and top with the sliced pork.
Video
Notes
Variations
- Make it spicy: Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes or a spoonful of sriracha to the marinade.
- Vegetarian version: Swap the pork for tofu or tempeh and follow the same marinade steps.
- Different meat: Chicken thighs or pork shoulder also work brilliantly with this marinade.
- Add extras: Cashew nuts, sesame seeds or spring onions make lovely toppings.
- Use what you have: Any noodles will do – rice noodles, egg noodles or even spaghetti in a pinch.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Keeps for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Freeze the pork (sliced or whole) for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in the oven or a pan with a splash of water.
- Lo Mein: Best eaten fresh, but will reheat in a wok with a drizzle of oil or soy sauce.
This is comfort food to the max – I hope you love it as much as I do!