[ Chinese Recipes] Beef Chow Fun Noodles (Gon Chow Ngau Ho)

Beef chow fun is a favorite Cantonese dish, made from stir-frying beef, he fen (wide rice noodles), scallions, ginger, bean sprouts and dark soy. In the U.S., it can usually be found in Cantonese restaurants that serve dim sum including one of our favorites, Pan-Fried Noodles w/ Chicken (Gai See Chow Mein).

Personally, I think beef chow fun is a sleeping favorite among Chinese food lovers, but the problem is that the traditional version isn’t widely available, and I don’t think there are a whole lot of good recipes out there (until now!).

An important element in the making of this dish is “wok hei” (鑊氣) which is a cooking technique that uses very high heat to create a wok sear that has its own unique umami flavor. You can see examples of old fashioned high flames in our Xian street food post where the flames are roaring hot. Wok Hei is not an easy state to achieve using a home range burner but it can be done.

The other essential technique for making this dish is a technique called “pow wok” which essentially is a method of tossing the wok and the food without using a spatula. It is best practiced with a seasoned pow wok with a wooden handle for easy gripping as you are tossing the ingredients around. You may have seen something like it in your local takeout place with the open kitchen. For this dish, the continuous movement of the noodles in the hot wok without using a spatula (i.e. pow wokking), prevents sticking and also keeps the rice noodles whole. But don’t despair, I have cooked this dish with a spatula and it has turned out just fine – what’s a few broken noodles here or there anyway? We’ve written the recipe as if you’re using a spatula, but go for the “pow wok” tossing method if you’re brave enough!

While all this may sound daunting, it is actually not as difficult as it sounds to get a good Beef Chow Fun on the table at home, provided that you can get fresh rice noodles at your local Asian market. You may find that it is not the easiest item to find, but all you need to do is ask your local Asian grocer and they will point you to the right aisle to get the fresh variety. You can also substitute the dried rice noodles, similar to what you would use for pad Thai. I have also made these noodles from scratch at home but we’re still tweaking the recipe. Stay tuned for that one.

In the meantime, give the recipe a try and tell us how it goes!

Here’s how to make it:

Start by combining the following and let it marinate for about an hour. The little bit of baking soda tenderizes the meat, similar to the texture you’ll get in restaurants. This is totally optional.
8 oz. flank steak
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oil

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and have them ready before you cook:
12 oz. fresh flat rice noodles
3 tablespoons oil
4 scallions, split in half vertically and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 thin slices ginger
2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
salt and white pepper, to taste
4 to 6 ounces fresh mung bean sprouts

Some rice noodles come as large sheets, while others are already cut. If you have the sheets, slice the rice noodles so they’re about 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick.

Heat your wok over high heat until smoking, and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to coat the wok. Add the beef and sear until browned. As long as your wok is hot enough, the meat shouldn’t stick. Set aside.

Add a little more oil to the wok, and add the ginger first to infuse the oil with its rich flavor for about 15 seconds. Then add the scallions.

Spread the noodles evenly in the wok and stir-fry the whole mix on high until it is mixed evenly, about 15 seconds.

Add the shaoxing wine around the rim of the wok.

Next, add the sesame oil, soy sauces, pinch of sugar, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste (taste the noodles before adding salt) along with the beef. Stir fry, making sure your spatula scrapes the bottom of the wok and you lift the ho fun in an upward motion to mix well and coat them evenly with the soy sauce.

If the noodles were cold and refrigerated when you started, you may have to toss the noodles longer to heat them through properly. If the noodles were fresh and at room temperature, then less time will be required. Your heat should remain as high as possible at all times.

Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry until the bean sprouts are just tender.

Serve!

BEEF CHOW FUN RICE NOODLES (gon chow ngau ho)

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the beef & marinade:
8 oz. flank steak
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oil

For the rest of the dish:
12 oz. fresh flat rice noodles
3 tablespoons oil
4 scallions, split in half vertically and cut into 3-inch pieces
3 thin slices ginger
2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
salt and white pepper, to taste
4 to 6 ounces fresh mung bean sprouts

Instruction:

Combine the beef and marinade ingredients and let it marinate for about an hour. The little bit of baking soda tenderizes the meat.

Some rice noodles come as large sheets, while others are already cut. If you have the sheets, slice the rice noodles so they're about 1/2-3/4 of an inch thick.

Heat your wok over high heat until smoking, and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to coat the wok. Add the beef and sear until browned. As long as your wok is hot enough, the meat shouldn't stick. Set aside. Add a little more oil to the wok. Then add the ginger first to infuse the oil with its rich flavor for about 15 seconds. Add the scallions.

Spread the noodles evenly in the wok and stir-fry the whole mix on high until it is mixed evenly, about 15 seconds. Add the shaoxing wine around the rim of the wok.

Next, add the sesame oil, soy sauces, pinch of sugar, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste (taste the noodles before adding salt) along with the beef. Stir fry, making sure your spatula scrapes the bottom of the wok and you lift the ho fun in an upward motion to mix well and coat them evenly with the soy sauce.

If the noodles were cold and refrigerated when you started, you may have to toss the noodles longer to heat them through properly. If the noodles are fresh, then less time will be required. Your heat should remain as high as possible at all times. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry until the bean sprouts are just tender. Serve!

This recipe and image sources are reffered in website: Thewoksoflife.com. Thanks so much!