Beef Chow Fun (Wok-Fried Rice Noodles with Beef)
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking, America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats.
Wide rice noodles are seared in a smoking-hot wok with velveted beef, onion and bean sprouts in a dark soy sauce, finished dry with no sauce pooling.
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Method
- 1
Soak the noodles. Cover the dried rice noodles with hot tap water, then drain and refresh with fresh hot water every 10 minutes until they turn white, limp and nearly tender, which takes 30-40 minutes in total. Drain well and gently separate the strands, then toss with 1 tsp of the oil. If you're using fresh noodle sheets instead, simply separate the strips, as they won't need soaking.
- 2
Velvet the beef. Toss the sliced steak with the bicarbonate of soda and water and leave for 10 minutes, then mix in the soy sauce, cornflour and sesame oil. This brief soak keeps thin slices of flank steak tender rather than tough once they hit the fierce heat ahead.
- 3
Mix the sauce. Stir together the dark and light soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl, ready to pour in near the end.
- 4
Sear the beef. Heat the wok over high heat until it's smoking, add 1 tbsp of oil and spread the beef out in a single layer. Sear for 1 minute without moving it, then stir-fry for 30-60 seconds until browned all over with no pink remaining. Lift it out onto a plate and set aside.
- 5
Char the onion. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the wok with the onion and the white parts of the spring onion, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the edges start to char. Add the garlic for the final 15 seconds, just long enough to turn fragrant without burning.
- 6
Scorch the noodles. Add the remaining oil and the noodles to the wok, spread them out and leave undisturbed for 30-45 seconds so they pick up some light scorching, then lift and fold gently with a spatula rather than stirring. Repeat this spread, scorch and fold two or three times. Folding rather than stirring keeps the wide, delicate noodles from tearing apart.
- 7
Add the sauce. Pour the sauce around the edge of the wok and fold it through until the noodles are evenly browned all over.
- 8
Return beef and sprouts. Return the beef to the wok along with the bean sprouts and the green parts of the spring onion, and fold for 30 seconds until the sprouts just begin to wilt. The finished dish should look dry, with no sauce sitting in a pool at the base. Serve immediately.
Storage
Keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a very hot wok or microwave until steaming hot throughout (at least 74°C), as gentle reheating will leave the noodles soft rather than restoring any char. Freezing isn't recommended, as the noodles turn gluey and the bean sprouts go watery once thawed. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large heatproof bowl
- wok (35 cm) or large non-stick frying pan (30 cm)
- wok spatula or tongs
- small bowls for the prepared ingredients
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 521 kcal |
| Protein | 23.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 69.2 g |
| of which sugars | 3.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 15.9 g |
| of which saturates | 3.2 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Salt | 2.52 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
