A traditional beef chow fun recipe that is as delicious as it is quick to make
Having inspired the famous pad see ew of Thai cuisine, chow fun (or ho fun, beef chow fun and many other names given to it) is one of my favorite dishes from Chinese cuisine.
The concept is as simple as can be: stir-fry rice noodles (I use the word tagliatelle to emphasize that they should be flat noodles, not round) at very high temperature with some vegetables and marinated beef
This dish embodies the comfort food and simplicity of Cantonese cuisine; if well organized, there’s almost no active cooking time, just a bit of marinating.
What is beef chow fun?
Essentially, it will be very wide rice noodles (he fen or huo fun) stir-fried with marinated beef, green onions, bean sprouts, sometimes ginger, but most importantly: dark soy sauce
The main techniques of chow fun
The first, wok hei (鑊氣), or “breath of the wok”, is that smoky and complex taste that comes from cooking at very high temperatures. It’s this intense heat that gives the noodles their unique flavor and slightly charred character. A hot wok is essential to capture this essence.
The second technique, pow wok, involves stir-frying the ingredients in the wok without a spatula, by skillfully tossing it. This constant movement prevents the noodles from sticking or breaking, while ensuring even cooking and nice caramelization.
For beginners, a wok with a wooden handle makes it easier to handle. That said, a spatula can certainly do the job, especially if you’re using rice noodles other than the traditional ones that break very easily
The main ingredients of beef chow fun
The beef: use a quick-cooking cut like sirloin
The light soy sauce: salty soy sauce that you’ll find in all stores
The dark soy sauce: salty soy sauce, darker and more intense. Mainly found in Asian supermarkets
The Shaoxing wine: Chinese cooking wine, you can substitute it with sake or dry sherry
The rice noodles: ideally you’ll find a large block of rice dough to cut into noodles, but if not, use dry rice noodles, the widest possible
Authentic Beef Chow Fun
Matériel
Ingredients
- 240 g beef Use sirloin or flank steak
- 200 g Of wide rice noodles, chow fun type If fresh (the best), 350g for two
- 4 green onions In segments
- 1 onion sliced
- 120 g of bean sprouts
Marinade for the beef
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 2 g baking soda
- 4 g cornstarch
- 4 g of sugar
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 5 g of sugar
Procédé
- If using dry noodles, soak the rice noodles in water for at least three hours.200 g Of wide rice noodles, chow fun type
- If using fresh noodles, blanch for 30 seconds, then place in a bowl of cold water and drain
- Cut the beef into slices about 2mm thick but 2-3 cm wide (see photo)240 g beef
- Marinate for 30 minutes.2 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 tablespoon shaoxing wine, 2 g baking soda, 4 g cornstarch, 4 g of sugar, 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- Wash the bean sprouts, cut the onions and green onions.4 green onions, 1 onion, 120 g of bean sprouts
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl3 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 5 g of sugar
- Heat a wok over high heat for 5 minutes, add a bit of oil and stir-fry the beef slices for 1 minute.
- Add the onion slices and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Set the beef and onions aside for later use.
- Drain the noodles
- Use chopsticks or a spatula to stir-fry the noodles for 2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the noodles from sticking to the pan.
- Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef and onions, stir-fry until the noodles are fully cooked.
- Add the green onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds.4 green onions
