White noodles, knife-cut noodles, chow mein noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles … there are so many different types of noodles in Chinese cuisine. The options seem endless! All pair wondrously and purposefully in the cooking methods they are popularly known for.
But my ultimate favorite is the fresh wide flat rice noodle (河粉). It looks like it could be a cousin of the fettucine. If you’re lucky like me, you can find it pre-made and packaged on styrofoam plates at many Asian grocery stores these days. But I love getting them in log form whenever possible. That way, I can cut it myself to my desired noodle width (control freak here).
The literal translation for beef chow fun from Chinese to English is dry, stir-fried beef flat rice noodle. This isn’t a saucy dish. Working fast on high heat and avoiding any excess moisture are key. So make sure you have all of your ingredients prepared and ready to go before turning on the stove. It’ll cook up in a matter of minutes.
If you like this Beef Chow Fun recipe, give these a try:
Cantonese Soy Sauce Noodles (豉油皇炒麵)
Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Adapted from Chef Ricky Cheung’s Beef Chow Fun recipe
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Beef Chow Fun (乾炒牛河)
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
The literal translation for beef chow fun from Chinese to English is dry, stir-fried beef flat rice noodle. This isn’t a saucy dish. Working fast on high heat and avoiding any excess moisture are key. So make sure you have all of your ingredients prepared and ready to go before turning on the stove. It’ll cook up in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon of water
- 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 pound of flank steak, pat dry and sliced thinly
Remaining Ingredients
- 1 small white onion, sliced
- 6 sprigs of green onion, cut into 2-inch long batons and sliced in half vertically if they’re thick
- A handful of fresh mung bean sprouts
- 1.5 pounds of fresh wide rice noodles, separated if pre-cut; or cut into 3/4-inch wide noodles, then separated
- 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons of light soy sauce
- 1/2 handful of yellow chives, cut into 2-inch long batons (optional)
- Neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Marinate the beef. In a bowl, mix together the light soy sauce, water, cornstarch, sugar and baking soda. Add the flank steak into the bowl. Incorporate the marinade well into the meat.
- Sear the beef. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over high heat. Add the flank steak and spread it out into one layer. Allow the beef to cook undisturbed for around 30 seconds. Flip the meat and let the slices cook for another 30 seconds. Dish up and set aside.
- Cook the veggies. Turn the heat down to medium high. Pour another tablespoon of cooking oil into the pan. Add the white onion and stir fry until they’re somewhat translucent. Add the green onion and mung bean sprouts and continue to mix and stir fry until they are slightly wilted. Season the veggies lightly with salt and mix to combine.
- Put it all together. Add the beef, noodles, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce into the pan. Use chopsticks to mix until everything has turned brown in color. Finish by adding the yellow chives, if using, and turn off the heat. Mix well and serve immediately.
Keywords: Stir-Fry, One Pot Cooking, Noodles, Beef
