Beef Chow Fun

Beef Chow Fun (gon chau ngau ho) is a Cantonese classic from Hong Kong's street kitchens: wide, fresh rice noodles stir-fried with marinated beef, crispy bean sprouts, and spring onions in a simple, dark soy sauce. The secret is a searing hot wok and quick movements, so the noodles get the coveted smoky flavour that Chinese people call wok hei – "the breath of the wok". The dish should be made quickly and in small portions, so the noodles become slightly charred rather than sticky.

• Cuisine: Chinese (Cantonese)
• Time: 30 minutes + 20 minutes marinating
• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: Medium

Instructions

1. Slice 500 g beef (tenderloin or thin steak) thinly against the grain. Toss the meat with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Gently separate the fresh, wide rice noodles with your hands to prevent them from breaking. If they are chilled and stiff, steam them briefly or rinse them under hot water until soft and separated.
3. Mix the sauce: 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and 1 tsp sugar.
4. Heat a wok very strongly with 1 tbsp neutral oil. Fry the beef in a single layer for 1-2 minutes until just cooked through and no longer pink inside. Remove the meat.
5. Add 1 more tbsp of oil to the hot wok. Add the wide rice noodles and let them sit for 30-40 seconds without stirring to get some colour. Then gently toss them.
6. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss until uniformly dark. Add bean sprouts and most of the spring onion, then return the beef to the wok.
7. Stir-fry for another 1 minute over high heat until everything is heated through and the bean sprouts are still crisp. Taste and drizzle with a little sesame oil if desired.
8. Serve immediately and garnish with the remaining spring onion.

Tips

• Use the highest heat possible and stir-fry in two batches if your wok is small – this gives the smoky wok hei flavour and prevents the noodles from steaming.
• Fresh, wide rice noodles should not be boiled – they are already tender and break easily. Toss them gently.
• Always slice beef against the grain and marinate with cornstarch to ensure tenderness.
• No fresh wide noodles on hand? Dried wide rice noodles can be softened in hot water according to package directions.