Beef Chow Fun with Charred Wide Rice Noodles

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Silky velveted flank steak, sweet onion and bean sprouts tossed with wide fresh rice noodles that get real char instead of turning into a sticky clump. The trick is loosening the noodles in warm water first, then cooking everything in two batches in a screaming-hot carbon-steel skillet so each strand touches metal. It's the takeout classic done right at home in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 12 oz flank steak, sliced 1/8-inch thick against the grain
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp water

• 1 1/2 lb fresh wide rice noodles (ho fun), room temperature
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch slivers
• 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, whites and greens separated
• 3 cups mung bean sprouts
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 5 tbsp peanut or other neutral high-heat oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Toss the sliced flank steak with the baking soda and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl until the liquid is absorbed; let sit 10 minutes. Add the Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil, mix until the beef feels slick, and refrigerate while you prep everything else (at least 15 minutes, up to 2 hours).
2. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it right next to the stove — once you start cooking there is no time to measure.
3. Loosen the noodles: if the fresh rice noodles are cold or firmly stuck together, microwave the unopened package in 30-second bursts (or steam 3-4 minutes) until pliable. Slide them into a large bowl of warm tap water (about 105-110°F) for 2-3 minutes, then gently peel the sheets apart with your fingers into separate 3/4-inch-wide strands. Drain in a colander for 10 minutes and pat dry with a towel — wet noodles steam instead of char.
4. Set a 12-inch carbon-steel skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes on contact, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirl, then lay half the beef in a single layer. Sear undisturbed 45-60 seconds until browned at the edges, toss 30 seconds more, and transfer to a plate while still slightly pink. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon oil and the remaining beef.
5. Return the empty pan to high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, and stir-fry the onion and scallion whites for 90 seconds until the edges blacken slightly but the onion still has snap. Add the garlic, toss 15 seconds, and scrape everything onto the plate with the beef.
6. Wipe the pan, reheat over the highest flame for 1 minute, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add half the drained noodles, spread them into a single layer, and let them sit untouched for 60-90 seconds until you see brown spots and smell toasted rice. Flip in large sections with a spatula (do not stir aggressively — they tear) and char the second side 45 seconds. Slide onto a large plate or sheet pan.
7. Repeat with the last tablespoon of oil and the remaining noodles, charring the same way.
8. Return the first batch of noodles, all the beef and the onion mixture to the pan over high heat. Pour the sauce down the hot sides of the pan rather than onto the noodles, sprinkle with the salt, and fold everything together with two spatulas for about 45 seconds, until the noodles are evenly mahogany.
9. Add the bean sprouts and scallion greens, toss just 30-45 seconds so the sprouts stay crisp and squeaky, then kill the heat. Serve immediately on warm plates — chow fun waits for no one.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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