Beef chow fun is a popular stir fry dish among Cantonese food lovers. It is a stir-fried dish made with tender beef, fresh rice noodles, green onions, bean sprouts, and dark soy sauce. It can usually be found at better Chinese restaurants (not buffets).
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Ingredient list:
Beef: the dish is made with thinly sliced beef. You can use just about any cut but flank steak is a great choice. Skirt steak is another good choice.
Rice wine: Asian markets usually have Chinese cooking wine, shao hsing is a good choice.
Regular soy sauce: You can also use light soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce.
Corn starch:
Oil: My preference for stirfrying is peanut oil. Corn oil also works.
Dark soy sauce: It has molasses for a bit of sweetness but also adds a dark color.
Oyster sauce: Adds depth of flavor
Sesame oil: Use toasted sesame oil.
White pepper: I like to use white pepper but you can use black pepper.
Fresh garlic:
White onion: You can also use yellow onion.
Chewy rice noodles: Or Chow fun noodles. When you can find them fresh wide rice noodles give the best results.
Green onions: Also called spring onions. Separate the white part from the green part.
Bean sprouts: Mung bean sprouts are best but soy bean sprouts also work. If using soy bean sprouts remove the yellow heads.
Optional: Baking soda
We are preparing to marinate the beef to get very close to the same results as a Chinese restaurant without first deep frying our beef. To make the beef tender, we will use baking soda. Some people may choose to use baking soda. But if you add a little too much baking soda it will make the meat taste bitter, so I leave it out.
I am using thinly sliced flank steak for the beef. In a bowl, combine thinly sliced beef and rice wine and mix well. Add soy sauce and salt, and stir to coat. Mix the cornstarch until there are no more white specks. After that, let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
It’s time to make our delicious savory sauce, so let’s get started. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil to a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients, and set aside until ready to cook. We should also keep the dark source sauce close to the area where we will be cooking.
It’s time to make our delicious savory sauce, so let’s get started. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil to a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients, and set aside until ready to cook. We should also keep the dark source sauce close to the area where we will be cooking.
To prepare our veggies: Thinly slice the onion, roughly chop the garlic, cut the green onion into sections, and divide the white part from the green part. Give the bean sprouts a good wash and inspect. If using soy bean sprouts remove and discard the heads.
How to prepare the noodles depends on whether you are working with fresh noodles or noodles that have become hardened. If you are lucky enough to be able to purchase fresh noodles all that you need to do is remove them from the package and separate them.
If you are using less than fresh rice noodles, you will need to soften them up before stir-frying. Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Make sure the noodle sections are gently separated as much as possible. Turn off the heat when the water reaches a boil and add the noodles. After soaking them for a minute, gently separate them using chopsticks or tongs.
After they are mostly separated pour them into a colander and rinse with cold water. Gently inspect for any that are stuck together. To prevent sticking add some oil and gently toss.
In order to prepare this dish, you may use either a large skillet or a wok, but I prefer to use a wok when preparing it. As much as I enjoy cooking with my thin cast iron wok, a wok is not necessary.
In my opinion, peanut oil is the best oil for wok cooking, but if you don’t like the flavor of the oil, vegetable oil is also an option.
Put your wok on a burner and turn it to the highest setting. I crank up my stove’s 24,000 BTU burner to high. It is critical to allow the wok to heat up. The moment it starts smoking, it is ready. Pour some oil into the wok and swirl it around so that it runs down the sides. Ensure that the bottom of the wok is coated by swirling the wok. Add your thinly sliced beef to the pan and spread it out. Expect it to stick at this point. Just let the beef sit and when it starts to sear it will release then you can turn it. If you rush and try to flip the beef too early, you can tear it apart.
After you flip the beef let it sit for a few seconds and it will release, now you can stirfry it until it is mostly cooked. Remove the partially cooked beef to a small plate. The beef will continue to cook due to carry-over cooking, so we take it out early to prevent overcooking. If your wok is really dirty, you may need to wash it; mine is usually clean enough to move to the next step.
Swirl in one tablespoon of oil to your wok, then add sliced onion, roughly chopped garlic, and the white part of the green onion. Give it a quick stir.
Add your rice noodles and give them a toss. You will need to be gentle with the rice noodles or they will break. Scoop under them and give them a toss, let them sit to get some color, and flip again. Do this a few times until they start to get some color. Then you can add your stir-fry sauce. Toss that in. If the color is not brown enough you can add a bit more dark soy sauce.
If it looks okay, return the beef and crunchy bean sprouts to the pan along with the green part of the green onion. Stir fry for about one more minute and the dish is ready to serve.
If you enjoyed this recipe then perhaps you would also enjoy my vegetable chow mein recipe.
Ingredients
Beef
- 10 oz Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Rice wine
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1/2 Tablespoon Oil Peanut or corn
- 1 pinch salt
Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Veggies
- 1 Cup bean sprouts
- 1/4 each onion
- 4 each green onion
- 1 clove garlic
Noodles
- 1 pound Rice noodles
Other
- 1/2 Tablespoon Oil
- 2 Tablespoons oil Peanut or corn
- 1/2 Tablespoon sesame seeds For garnish
Instructions
Marinate Beef
- To thinly sliced beef add rice wine, soy sauce, salt, and corn starch. Give a good mix then add 1/2 Tablespoon of oil. Give another mix. Set aside until ready to cook.10 oz Beef, 1 Tablespoon Rice wine, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon corn starch, 1/2 Tablespoon Oil
Sauce
- To a small bowl add oyster sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and dark soy sauce1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce, 1/2 Tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
Prepare Veggies
- Wash and inspect bean sprouts. If using soybeans remove the heads.1 Cup bean sprouts
- Slice the onion1/4 each onion
- Cut up the green onion. Separate the white from the green part.4 each green onion
- Roughly chop the garlic.1 clove garlic
Prepare the noodles
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the noodles and turn off the heat.1 pound Rice noodles
- Gently separate the noodles. Pour the noodles into a colander.
- Rinse with cold water then add 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and toss.1/2 Tablespoon Oil
Stir-Fry
- With the wok on high heat add one Tablespoon of oil. Give a swirl to coat the wok.2 Tablespoons oil
- Add the beef and gently spread out. Give it a few seconds to sear then flip.10 oz Beef
- Give it a few seconds to sear then start to stir fry.
- After the beef has lost most of its color remove it from the wok and set it aside.
- Add one tablespoon of oil to the wok then add the onion, garlic, and white part of the green onion. Give it a stir.1/4 each onion, 1 clove garlic, 4 each green onion
- Add the rice noodles. Gently stirfry them on high heat.1 pound Rice noodles
- After the noodles start to get some color then add the sauce and gently stir it in.
- Return the beef to the wok, and add the bean sprouts and green onion.10 oz Beef, 1 Cup bean sprouts, 4 each green onion
- Stirfry for one minute then serve.
I really loved this recipe! The beef was super flavorful and even my veggie hating husband, had seconds! I’m making this again soon!
That’s awesome glad he enjoyed the veggies
SO yummy! I had a flank steak in the freezer and was hungry for some good Chinese food. This recipe did not disappoint! My husband raved about it, too!
So glad you liked the recipe