Beef Chow Fun
This Hong Kong stir fry brings together wide rice noodles and strips of steak and spring onion in a soy-based sauce with just a hint of sweetness. Quick enough to make on busy weeknight and absolutely delicious.
Introduction
This is one of my all-time favourite Hong Kong noodle dishes. The beef is silky and tender and the rice noodles absorb all the sauce. The name of this dish literally translates to ‘dry stir-fry noodle’, because it’s cooked quickly over high heat to prevent the beef and noodles from overcooking. If you can, try to seek out fresh rice noodles. They’re an affordable ingredient most often sold in the chilled aisle of Asian supermarkets and make all the difference in a simple dish like this.
Ingredients
| 650g | beef steak (flank or skirt), very thinly sliced into 2cm-wide strips |
| 2 tbsp | neutral cooking oil |
| 4 | spring onions, cut into thirds, then halved lengthways |
| 200g | beansprouts, rinsed |
| 50g | Chinese chives, cut into thirds (omit if you can’t find any) |
| 400g | cooked 1cm-wide rice noodles (or around 125g dried – see Note) |
| For the marinade: | |
|---|---|
| ½ tsp | sugar |
| ½ tsp | bicarbonate of soda |
| 2 tsp | light soy sauce |
| 2 tbsp | water |
| 2 tsp | cornstarch |
| Pinch of | ground white pepper |
| For the sauce: | |
| 2 tbsp | light soy sauce |
| 1 tbsp | dark soy sauce |
| 1 tsp | sugar |
| Pinch of | ground white pepper |
Essential kit
You will need: a wok or a large frying pan.
Method
Place the beef in a medium bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Massage for 1–2 minutes, then leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add the marinated beef, spreading it out into a thin layer, and cook for 3–4 minutes, undisturbed. Flip and cook for 1–2 minutes on the other side until almost cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Reheat the wok or pan with the other tablespoon of oil over a high heat. Add the spring onions and cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the beansprouts and chives, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the noodles and toss to combine with two spatulas or chopsticks.
Return the beef to the pan. Add the sauce around the edges of the pan and toss vigorously to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the noodles have absorbed all the sauce (the stir-fry should be quite dry). Taste to adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a large plate and serve.
Note: If using dried rice noodles, place in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 5–7 minutes until the noodles are soft with a slight bite. You want the noodles to be slightly underdone so they retain their texture after stir-frying. Drain, then transfer to a large colander. Leave to steam dry for 5–7 minutes. Once dry, toss lightly with cooking oil to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.
Reviews
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for your rating. Our team will get back to any queries as soon as possible.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.
