Beef chow fun

This classic Cantonese dish is quick and easy to make but it does require some hefty gas-heat in order to cook properly. If you’ve ever watched wok-cooking in a restaurant, where the flames are prodigious, you’ll know what we mean. It’s best to cook this for just 2 people, as home gas supply isn't grunty enough to cook bigger quantities without the food stewing. If you want to make more serves, simply cook a separate batch.

Beef chow fun Credit: Sharyn Cairns

• serves

  2

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  8 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 350 g beef fillet, trimmed and cut into 5 mm thick slices
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• 4 green onions, trimmed, split in half horizontally and cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1.5 cm piece of ginger, cut into fine shreds
• 400 g fresh thick rice noodles
• 100 g (2 cups) mung bean sprouts, ends trimmed

Marinade

• 1 ½ tsp cornflour
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 ½ tsp sesame oil

Marinating time 1 hour

Instructions

To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in small bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat the meat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap then refrigerate for 1 hour.

Combine the Shaoxing wine and soy sauces in a small bowl and set aside. Heat half the oil in a wok over high and when it is nearly smoking, add the beef. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until the beef is well sealed but still pink in the middle. Remove the beef to a bowl. Wipe the wok clean then reheat it to very hot with the remaining oil. Add the green onion and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds or until the onion is just wilted. Loosen the noodles using your fingers, if necessary, then add to the wok with the soy sauce mixture and cook, tossing the wok often, for 3-4 minutes or until the noodles are hot and evenly coated.

Return the onion and beef to the wok, add the sprouts then toss over high heat for another 2 minutes or until the sprouts are wilted and everything is heated through. Serve immediately. 

Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Tiffany Page.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.