Beef Chow Fun - Wet Recipe
Recipe:
1 package of fresh hoh fan noodles, about 32 oz.
8 oz flank, skirt, or rib eye
*2 pinches baking soda (only use if you want it more tenderized for a cut such as flank)
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pinch MSG
1 tbsp and 2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
salt to taste
1 - 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
4 oz. or about 2 loose cups of bean sprouts
1 bunch of green onions
4 thin slices of ginger
First, thinly slice the meat against the grain. It helps if the meat is semi-frozen. Optional - tenderize the meat if you need to by sprinkling two pinches of baking soda and letting the meat tenderize in the fridge in a covered bowl for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1 pinch MSG, 2 tsp soy sauce to the beef slices. And marinate as you prepare everything for quick stir frying.
If the noodles are uncut, slice them to desired thickness. Separate by hand in a big bowl and lightly oil them with neutral oil and toss. The oil should just very lightly cover the noodles. I found this step to help them prevent from sticking. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set aside.
Wash and drain bean sprouts and set aside.
Wash and slice green onions. Reserve the greens parts in one bowl and the whiter parts in a separate bowl. Slice 4 pieces of ginger and add this to the bowl of white parts of green onions.
In a small bowl, combined 1 tsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp of light soy sauce, and 1/4 tsp of sugar. Set aside.
Heat a cast iron wok over the highest heat possible. When the wok is hot, lightly oil the surface and pour out any excess oil in a separate bowl. Add the white parts of green onions and stir fry for about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then add the ginger and stir fry for another 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from wok and set back in the prep plate/bowl.
While the wok is still hot, add the 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of corn starch into the beef and mix. You should have a mixture that's not too dry and floury on the outside (sorry, it's very difficult to explain the texture). Add a little more oil if this is needed and stir fry the beef in the wok. Since it's a home stove you don't want to move it for at least a minute and a half on each side so it sears nicely, but not fully cooked yet. Remove from wok and set back in the prep bowl. (The meat will be cooked one last time so it's fine to put it back in the same prep bowl.)
Drizzle some more oil and evenly coat the wok. This step is the most difficult because you do not want to use too much oil and make the dish taste greasy which is very easy to do. I recommend adding the noodles in 2 batches. Sear for about 2-3 minutes on each side until noodle start to get golden and crispy in some parts. When you toss, you want to toss as minimally and lightly as possible to prevent the noodles from breaking. Also, more tossing will absorb more oil from the wok sides and you can see this happen when parts of the walls start to appear dry or begin to stick a very thin amount of noodles to it. Drizzle some oil as needed to prevent sticking. I use a fine tipped squeeze bottle to reduce the amount of oil I add, but to control where it goes in the wok.
When the noodles are slightly crispy, add all the noodles back in the wok, keeping it over the highest heat as possible. Add the soy sauce mixture while quickly tossing to season them. You might not use all of the soy sauce mixture. Taste as you need, but one sign to check is when the noodles have been evenly coated with the soy sauce mixture.
Add the stir fried beef, ginger, and white parts of green onion back in the noodles and occasionally toss for about 1 minute.
Add the green onions and occasionally toss for about 30 seconds or they are fragrant. Add the bean sprouts and toss for about another 30 seconds.
Plate and serve with black bean sauce on top.
Black Bean Sauce Recipe:
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 large clove of garlic
neutral oil
1/2 tsp Knorr powdered chicken bouillon
salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tbsp soy sauce
ground white pepper
In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsps of water and corn starch and mix to combine. Set aside.
In a small pot or clean wok, heat over medium-high heat and add oil just to coat when the cooking surface is hot. Add garlic and black beans and stir fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add water, powdered chicken bouillon, salt, sugar, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add a pinch or two of ground white pepper to brighten the sauce. (Taste before and after you add the white pepper and you should notice a subtle difference.)
As the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle boil. Remix the corn starch and water mixture in the bowl and slowly add to the sauce while stirring. You'll see the sauce thicken and adding the corn starch mixture when you reach the desired texture. You might not use all of this mixture.
