Beef Chow Fun
My family's beef chow fun recipe! It's so flavorful, and the beef is incredibly tender. This is a classic Cantonese dish, and I'm so honored to share it with you!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 576kcal
Equipment
- Large wok or skillet
Ingredients
- ¾ pound sirloin steak thinly sliced against the grain
- ¾ pound dried wide rice noodles see notes
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 2 scallions, cut into medium slices whites and greens separated
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Chinese shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 to 2 cups fresh bean sprouts adjust to taste
- Vegetable oil for cooking
Beef marinade:
- ½ teaspoon baking soda do not substitute
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch do not substitute
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon Chinese shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or white pepper powder
Sauce for the noodles:
- 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce plus more as needed
- A pinch of granulated sugar
Instructions
- Marinate the beef: In a bowl, combine the sliced sirloin beef with all the "beef marinade" ingredients listed above. Mix evenly until the beef is evenly coated. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Soften the noodles: If using dried noodles, soak in very hot water (just boiled) for about 10 to 15 minutes until softened but still slightly firm, as they will continue cooking in the pan. If using fresh noodles, soak with hot water for 2 minutes. Then, drain and rinse with cold water to loosen it up.
- Make the sauce for the noodles: In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Heat a large wok or skillet on medium-high or high heat. Add a few generous drizzles of oil. Cook the beef until they get a nice sear. This only takes 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add more oil and cook the sliced yellow onions and scallions (white parts only) for a few seconds until slightly softened. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine, give it a quick stir to deglaze and let it evaporate. This will infuse with flavor and release the brown bits.
- Toss in the softened noodles (drained). Then, gradually add the prepared sauce and toss to combine until evenly coated and the noodles are loosened up, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions (green parts only) and bean sprouts, and cook for another minute or so.
- Then, return the seared beef until incorporated. Note: If you’d like more color for the noodles, just add a little bit more dark soy sauce - a little bit goes a long way.
- Serve immediately, and top with extra bean sprouts if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dried wide rice noodles: Also known as “rice sticks.” Find XL or extra wide size ones, which are about ¾ inch wide. To soften, soak in hot water (just boiled) for 10 to 15 minutes until softened but not mushy. There is no need to pre-boil.
- Fresh wide rice noodles: To soften, soak in hot water (just boiled) for 2 minutes.
- Note that this is not a saucy noodle dish. This recipe makes about ¼ cup of sauce, which is enough to coat the noodles with flavor and give it color.
- Chinese shaoxing cooking wine: dry sherry.
- Do not substitute baking soda or cornstarch. They are needed to tenderize the meat.
Nutrition
Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg