If you are not familiar with Garden & Gun magazine, get acquainted. Based in Charleston, SC, not only do they produce unique content about the South, but they also have a fantastic cookbook that I have been working through and trying to reproduce all the tasty goodness that resides inside its pages. So far, it hasn’t failed me.

For this go-round, I decided to try their Yakamein, a culinary treasure likely brought to New Orleans by Chinese immigrants in the nineteenth century.

This recipe comes from Chef Linda Green, a frequent vendor at parades and festivals, who calls herself “the Ya-Ka-Mein Lady.” Green learned how to make Yakamein from her mother and grandmother. While she has never written down the family recipe, she did agree to share it with Garden & Gun, and now I’m sharing it with you.

I highly recommend getting G&G’s Cookbook; you won’t be disappointed.

Order Your Copy of The Southerner’s Cookbook Here

Hope you enjoy the recipe! If you end up making it, let us know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (2 1/2-to 3-pound) boneless chuck or eye of round roast
• 8 to 9 cups water
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup soy sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon ketchup, plus more for topping if you like
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 (1-pound) package of spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half

PREPARATION

1. Place the beef roast in a large stockpot. Cover with water, and then add the Creole seasoning. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 hours** until the beef is tender. Remove the beef to a large bowl and allow the beef and stock to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Shred or chop cooled beef, removing and discarding any large chunks of fat. Skim the fat from the top of the stock. Add the soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce to the stock, tasting as you go and adjusting the seasonings if needed. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the skimmed stock over medium heat until simmering.
3. To serve, divide the spaghetti and meat among 10 bowls. Top each with scallions and half an egg, and ladle some stock over the top. Serve with hot sauce or ketchup.

** To save you time, I would simply use beef broth for the stock and cook the meat separately, seasoning it accordingly.