Beef Chow Fun Recipe

It can be hard to find a good beef chow fun stir-fry at a Chinese restaurant. Sometimes it’s overly greasy or lacking good flavor. But when the Cantonese dish is spot on, it’s delicious. My best bet for a consistently good beef chow fun is to make it at home. Plus, I know that I’ll have all that I want.

When I go to a Chinese market, I look for fresh rice noodles. They are typically sold as folded slabs on Styrofoam trays near the refrigerated foods and produce section. I look for ones labeled ‘chow fun noodles’ or noodles cut to the width of pappardelle (1/2-inch wide); think of super fat banh pho rice noodles and you’ll understand what chow fun noodles should look like. I poke at them to ensure that they’re fresh. They should be soft. Unrefrigerated soft noodles are best but firm refrigerated firm noodles will work too. In a pinch, you can boil wide dried banh pho rice noodles for this dish. Just drain them well and toss with a little salt and oil. Then let them dry completely before stir-frying. (See the banh pho rice noodle buying guide if you need an assist.)

Once home, I make this stir-fry with the noodles. If you have to refrigerate them for a few days, they’ll harden but still okay to work with. Pork or chicken thigh can stand in for the beef. This is a great one-dish meal to share with someone you love or like a lot.

RECIPE

Beef Chow Fun

Yield: Serves 2 as a one-dish meal, 4 as part of a larger meal

Ingredients

8 ounces flank steak
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons dark (thick) soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pound fresh chow fun rice noodles (pre-cut to 1/2 inch wide)
3 green onions, cut into 1 1/4-inch lengths
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons light (regular) soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon fermented black beans, smashed or mashed with a knife blade
3 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained well
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Instructions

Cut the beef with the grain into 2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a bowl. Add the cornstarch, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir or massage to coat the meat well. Set aside.
Separate the noodles into strips. Some may break into shorter lengths. Set aside on a plate. Smack the white sections of the green onion with the flat side of the knife, then put into a small bowl; add the ginger and garlic. Keep the green sections in another bowl to add separately.
In a small bowl, stir together the white pepper, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, and water. Put this seasoning liquid near the stove with all the other ingredients.
Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes in 1 to 2 seconds. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the ginger, garlic, and crushed sections of green onion. Stir-fry for 15 seconds, until aromatic, then bank on the side. Add the beef, spreading it out into a flat layer. Sear, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Add the black beans, then stir-fry the beef for 30 seconds, until barely cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Rinse and dry the pan well.
Reheat the pan over high heat, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, then add the noodles, spreading them out to a thick layer. Sear, undisturbed for 1 minute, until a tad crusty. Dump in the bean sprouts, then vigorously stir-fry for 1 minute, until the sprouts have slightly softened. Some noodles may stick to the pan.
Return the beef and any juices and add the remaining green onion sections. Stir to combine, then pour in the seasoning liquid. Stir-fry for 1 minute to heat through and finish cooking the beef. Pile onto a platter and serve immediately.

If you have tweaks, tips or variations of stir-fried beef chow, do tell.

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