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.
For the best rendition, I purchase fresh rice noodles at a Chinese market. They are typically sold as folded slabs on Styrofoam trays near the refrigerated foods and produce section. YOuI look for ones labeled 'chow fun noodles', 'Hu Tieu noodles', or any rice noodles cut to the width of pappardelle (½-inch, 1.25cm wide). Think of super fat banh pho rice noodles and you'll understand what chow fun noodles should look like. I poke at the noodles to ensure that they're fresh. They should be soft. Unrefrigerated soft noodles are best but firm refrigerated firm noodles will work too. In the display below, the noodles to buy for chow fun is on the right, labeled Hu Tieu and Chow Fun. When in doubt, look at the width of the noodles! If you have to refrigerate the fresh for a few days, they'll harden but still be okay to cook up.
How to use dried rice noodles for chow fun? In a pinch, you can boil 10 ounces (300g) of wide (XL) dried banh pho rice noodles for this dish. Just drain them well and toss with a little salt and oil. Then let them completely dry before stir-frying. Dried wide rice noodles are as wide as Italian pappardelle. In fact, rice-based pappardelle sold in the gluten-free pasta section of many supermarkets can be used instead of Asian rice noodles. Before heading over there, check the market's Asian ingredient section for brands such as Taste of Thai, which is also sold online at Amazon and Target. Dried rice noodles last nearly forever.
Chow fun bonus pointers
- Substitute proteins for beef? Pork or chicken thigh can stand in for the beef. You could use shrimp, if you like. Or super-firm tofu and mushroom.
- If bean sprouts are unavailable, use 2 cups (480ml) thinly sliced cabbage. The vegetable adds crunch so don't cook the cabbage too much!
- Fermented Black Beans add a depth of flavor to the dish. You can make stir-fried chow fun without the black beans but they'll be lacking in a bit of funk and umami.
- For further noodle assistance, check the banh pho rice noodle buying guide.
- Regular (light) soy sauce is different than dark soy sauce. Peruse the Mega Soy Sauce Buying Guide to bone up on soy sauce, a workhorse in many Asian cuisines.
- And if this recipe gets you going on the stir-fried noodles train, make Vietnamese garlic noodles or stir-fried silver pin noodles. Or, prepare earthy Singapore noodles or a fabulous pad Thai with recipes at my newsletter.
Asian stir-fried noodles are meant to be shared. They're terrific one-dish meals but you can add a simple stir-fried leafy green vegetable to boost the vegetable content.
Beef Chow Fun
Ingredients
- 225 g | 8 ounces flank, bavette, or top sirloin beef steak
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 450 g | 1 pound fresh chow fun rice noodles (pre-cut to ½ inch (1.25cm) wide)
- 3 green onions, white and green parts, cut as 1 ¼-inch (3cm) lengths
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons 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 (optional)
- 720ml | 3 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained well
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
Instructions
- Marinate the beef: Cut the beef with the grain into 2-inch (5cm) wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a bowl. Add the cornstarch, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir or massage to coat the meat well.
- Prep the noodles and seasonings: 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.
- Make the seasoning liquid: 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.
- Stir-fry the beef: 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.
- Stir-fry noodles, assemble, and finish: 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.
Bonnie says
I always get confused when a recipe calls for fermented black beans, and always wonder if salted black beans are similar, if not the same thing? I have never been able to find a can, bottle or package of fermented black beans in the local asian markets.
Andrea Nguyen says
Bonnie, click on the link in the recipe above and you'll go to a buying guide for the black beans. They are salted, yes. Let me know if you have other questions.
Uyen Kry says
Thanks so much for posting this. I have been searching for a good chow-fun recipe as my daughter loves it so much. Do you recommend certain brands of Shaoxing rice wine and dark/light soy sauce? I have shared your recipe on our blog.
Suzette says
"This is a great one-dish meal to share with someone you love or like a lot." I love this line almost as much as I love these noodles!
Andrea Nguyen says
See this post on Asian Dumpling Tips for brands:
http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/2009/04/building-an-asian-dumpling-pantry.html
They are what I have in my pantry. If you have an iPhone download my Asian Market Shopper and you'll have a mobile Asian ingredient glossary at your fingertips, along with recipes and how-to videos.
Thanks for asking!
Andrea Nguyen says
Lol, thanks. Why share food you love with people you dislike, right?
Linda Anusasananan says
I love this dish, too, but haven't made it in ages. I find that often when you use refrigerated noodles, they stick together in one big slab and are impossible to separate without breaking into small pieces. I've tried immersing the noodles in a sinkful of very hot tap water, then gently loosen noodles with my hands to separate. Drain noodles thoroughly. I don't think this is authentic but it works for me.
Sandy says
This is one of my favorite noodle dishes. I usually use only oyster sauce for seasoning, but yours sounds tastier minus the black beans (I think they would add a different taste to familar-to-me dish). For refrigerated noodles, I usually put them in the microwave to gently warm them, then separate the clumps.
Andrea Nguyen says
Linda -- great tip. Sometimes I microwave the noodles a bit or let them sit out. But they do break. Great tip on soaking them in hot water. It's kinda like steaming them.
Andrea Nguyen says
Two votes for microwaving. You barely notice the black beans, Sandy, but they give a little savory undercurrent.
Cindy says
I have made this dish in the past with thinly sliced strips of lpork chops aand american egg noodles and it was wonderful. Is that a serious faux paux or am I missing something?
Joe says
Very good single noodle dish. I added 1/4 small sliced onion along with the bean sprouts. Will make again but will add some heat to it chili oil or? just to spice it up a bit.
Good job Andrea, keep those noodle dishes coming.
Andrew Nguyen says
Thanks for the awesome recipe. I followed everything except I used Chinese bok choy instead of green onions.
jjj says
I forget the brand but my fermented black beans come in a vacuum sealed bag in 8oz packages. they are not the same as salted. these are the only fermented beans ive ever come across and im sorry, but i dont have a sample to recall the name