Name: Beef Ho Fun (Gānchăo Niúhé 乾炒牛河)
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 6 ounces flank steak; 1 tablespoon water; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; 5 teaspoons soy sauce, divided; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, divided; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, divided; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; ¼ teaspoon white pepper; 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce; 3 scallions, green parts only; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; 6 ounces (3 cups) bean sprouts; ½ small onion, sliced ¼ inch thick; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 12 ounces fresh ho fun noodles

Why This Recipe Works

No dish better captures the spark of Cantonese wok cooking than beef chow fun, the universally beloved stir-fry of supple beef; crisp vegetables (onion, bean sprouts, scallion greens); and smooth, delightfully chewy ho fun (wide, flat fresh rice noodles) tossed in a hot wok with a bare coat of deeply savory soy-based sauce. To start, we sliced flank steak thin across the grain to shorten its muscle fibers, which made it easier to chew. Briefly soaking it in a baking soda solution raised its pH, which prevented its proteins from seizing up during cooking. We then marinated the meat in an umami-rich mixture thickened with cornstarch to flavor it and coat the meat in a “barrier” that protected it from overcooking. Heating the wok “dry” and pouring the fat down its walls just before cooking allowed the metal to reach blistering-hot temperatures (upward of 700 degrees) without burning the oil. We drizzled the sauce down the wok’s superhot sides (rather than pouring it into the center with the food), which caused moisture to evaporate from it and deepened the sauce’s flavor. Batch-cooking the beef, vegetables, and noodles and constantly tossing the food in the wok helped drive off moisture, which encouraged the smoking fat, Maillardization, and caramelization that contribute to wok hei.

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Before You Begin

This recipe requires fresh ho fun, either commercially made or homemade. Do not use other types of fresh or dried noodles. We prefer mung bean sprouts, which are more common in Chinese cooking; if they’re unavailable, use soy bean sprouts instead. We love the color and flavor of dark soy sauce, but if it’s unavailable, use 1 teaspoon soy sauce in its place in step 3. A version of this recipe appears in A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese).

Instructions

Cut 6 ounces trimmed flank steak with grain into 2½- to 3-inch-wide strips. Transfer to plate and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Slice strips crosswise against grain ¼ inch thick.

Combine 1 tablespoon water and ¼ teaspoon baking soda in medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat; let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk together 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon white pepper in large bowl. Add beef mixture, toss to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Whisk together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine, and 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce in small bowl; set aside.

Cut green parts of 3 scallions into 1½ inch pieces. Set aside.

Heat empty 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Drizzle 1 tablespoon vegetable oil around perimeter of wok and heat until just smoking.

Add beef mixture and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl. Wipe wok clean with damp paper towels.

Heat now-empty wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Drizzle 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil around perimeter of wok and heat until just smoking.

Add 6 ounces bean sprouts; ½ small onion, thinly sliced; 2 minced garlic cloves; and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger to wok. Cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until vegetables begin to soften and lightly char, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl with beef.

Heat now-empty wok over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Drizzle remaining 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil around perimeter of wok and heat until just smoking.

Add 12 ounces fresh ho fun noodles and cook, tossing gently but constantly, until beginning to char, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and scallions and gently toss to combine. Drizzle reserved soy sauce mixture around perimeter of hot wok and cook, tossing gently to coat noodles, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.