Name: Beef Chow Fun - Beef in Flat Rice Noodles, Three Ways
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 1 lb Flank or london broil steak, thinly sliced into 2 x ¼-inch strips; ½ tsp Baking soda; 2 tsp Cornstarch; ¼ tsp Fresh ground black pepper; 5 tbsp Soy sauce, divided; 8 tbsp Vegetable oil; 3 tbsp Dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp Hoisin or oyster sauce (or 1 add'l tbsp dark soy); 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil; 8 stalk Scallions, split in half vertically then cut into 2-inch pieces; 2 tbsp Ginger root, chopped; ½ tsp Sugar; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine; 1 large Onion, finely sliced from pole-to-pole; 1 lb (option #2) Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or regular broccoli, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces; 12 oz (option #3) Fresh mung bean sprouts; 24 oz Fresh or dried wide rice noodles

The Ho Fan noodles used in this fan-favorite dish are made with rice flour. Fresh Ho Fan noodles are popular in south China, where rice is grown in abundance. This recipe is for beef chow fun done three ways: traditional with onions, traditional with onions and bean sprouts, and a mashup of two Cantonese restaurant favorites; beef and broccoli with traditional beef chow fun.

Beef Chow Fun – Beef in Flat Rice Noodles, Three Ways

Beef Chow Fun is just that; fun. Let your guests and kids choose which of the three versions they'd prefer. All three are based on the exact same dish with the addition of bean sprouts or broccoli. If you can't get fresh wide ho fan noodles, dried Asian rice noodles will do just fine and are easily obtained at Asian markets and online.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Canton, Chinese, Southern China

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Marinate: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Wok or large skillet
Colander

Ingredients

1 lb Flank or london broil steak, thinly sliced into 2 x ¼-inch strips
½ tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Cornstarch
¼ tsp Fresh ground black pepper
5 tbsp Soy sauce, divided
8 tbsp Vegetable oil
3 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Hoisin or oyster sauce (or 1 add'l tbsp dark soy)
1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
8 stalk Scallions, split in half vertically then cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp Ginger root, chopped
½ tsp Sugar
3 cloves Garlic, minced
4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 large Onion, finely sliced from pole-to-pole
1 lb (option #2) Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or regular broccoli, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
12 oz (option #3) Fresh mung bean sprouts
24 oz Fresh or dried wide rice noodles

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Option #1 – Basic Beef Chow Fun

Prepare Beef – Freeze beef steak for 20 minutes to stiffen slightly. Slice across the grain into thin 2 x ¼-inch slices. Marinate beef slices by combining with with baking soda, cornstarch, black pepper, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp vegetable oil in a plastic freezer bag. Seal, massage seasonings into slices, and marinate in the refrigerator from 1-to-4 hours or even overnight.
Prepare Components – Cook dried rice noodles according to instructions to soften. If using fresh, cut into 1-inch wide strips, if necessary, and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to separate sticking noodles. Transfer cooked noodles to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain before using.
Combine chopped garlic, scallion pieces, and ginger in 1 bowl, sliced onions in another.
Combine soy sauces, oyster or hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and sugar in a small bowl or cup.
Cook Beef Chow Fun – Drain any excess marinade liquid from beef slices. Heat wok to high and add 1½ tbsp oil. When smoking hot, add onions and stir-fry until browned and tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in scallions, garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute and add to a bowl with onions. Wipe wok clean with paper towels.
Heat 2 tbsp oil to smoking over high heat. Add beef slices in one layer for 1 minute and then stir fry until cooked through, 1-2 minutes more. Remove to a bowl or plate and wipe wok clean.
Heat 4 tbsp oil and heat to smoking. Add noodle in one layer and gently stir-fry 20 seconds. Pour Shaoxing wine around sides of wok. Stir in the sauce then add beef slices, gently mixing everything together. Season with white pepper and salt, if necessary.

Option #2 – Beef and Broccoli Chow Fun

Cook recipe as above except microwave broccoli in a semi-sealed plastic freezer bag with ⅛ cup water for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse broccoli under cold water to stop cooking and turn bright green. Add drained broccoli to onions after they've been cooking 3 minutes. Complete recipe as above.

Option #3 – Beef Chow Fun with Bean Sprouts

Cook traditional recipe all the way through. Add bean sprouts to the beef slices in the wok right before cooking is finished. Briefly stir-fry until sprouts soften slightly, about 1 minute.