Pictorial: Fried Rice Noodles with Beef, Dry Style

[hzrt8w]

Pictorial Recipe

Fried Rice Noodles with Beef (Dry Style) (乾炒牛河)

Frying noodles, rice noodles, and rice are Cantonese specialties. This pictorial illustrates one of the bests Cantonese style has to offer: frying rice noodles with beef and soy sauce. This dish is called "Dry style" because it doesn't offer gravy. It is quite easy to make at home.

Note: This dish is also known as "Beef Chow Fun" in many Chinese restaurants.

Picture of the finished dish:

Serving Suggestion: 2-3

Preparations:

Main ingredients (middle right, clockwise):

- Beef (chuck), about 3/4 lb

- 1 small onion

- 1 pack of fresh rich noodles, 2 lb

- 5 stalks of green onions

(Optional, use either)

- 1/4 lb bean sprouts (mung bean sprouts)

- 1/8 lb yellow chive

This is the feature of this dish: one pack of freshly made rich noodles. The rice noodle sheets are already perforated into 1/2 inch wide, length-wise.

Cut the beef into 1/8 inch slices.

To marinate the beef: Add beef slices in a small mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp of ShaoHsing wine, 1 tsp of corn starch, 1 tsp of light soy sauce, 1 tsp of dark soy sauce, and 1 tsp of ground white pepper.

Mix well. Set aside for about 30 minutes before cooking.

Peel, trim and cut the onion into small wedges. Trim and cut the green onions into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Use a small bowl, add 3 tsp of light soy sauce and 3 tsp of dark soy sauce. Mix well.

Take the rice noodles out of the plastic package. Use your fingers to separate the noodle shreds and fluff them up the best you can.

Cooking Instructions:

Use a pan/wok, set stove to high. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil is hot. Add marinated beef slices to velvet for a few minutes. Remove and drain the excess oil.

Clean and dry pan. Heat it over stove. Set stove to high. Add 4-5 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil start fuming. (Note: this is an important point. Must wait until oil temperature is high.)

The following steps must be completed very quickly: Add the wedged onions and 1/2 portion of the green onions. Dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing wine. This may induce a flame especially if you cook with a high power wok burner. Immediately add the small bowl of light/dark soy sauce mix.

Like this. The soy sauce will boil immediately.

Immediately add the rice noodles. (Note: When cooking at home, it is easier to use a microwave oven to pre-heat the rice noodles for about 3-5 minutes. This will reduce the cooking time over the pan/wok.)

Mix well and add the rest portion of the green onions.

Mix well until the soy sauce spreads evenly over the rice noodles.

Return the velveted beef slices. Continue to mix well. Stir-fry for another minute or so, completed. Transfer the rice noodles to a serving plate.

Picture of the finished dish.

(Note: The quantity of food made in this recipe is about twice to three times the portion shown in this picture.)

Variations

It is also popular to use BBQ pork slices or chicken to make this rice noodle dish.

Edited August 1, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[KateC]

Seems delicious.

Now I know how to use the fresh rice noodles I've seen at the Chinese grocery. I've been using dry rice noodles in my cooking so far.

Thank you for such great pictorials Ah Leung.

[Dejah]

Seems delicious.

Now I know how to use the fresh rice noodles I've seen at the Chinese grocery. I've been using dry rice noodles in my cooking so far.

Thank you for such great pictorials Ah Leung.

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Kate:

You mentioned bittergourd in the Chinese Food in Brazil thread. I gather they are the same as bitter melon or fu gua. If you are still passionate about them, try these noodles with stir-fried bittermelon, blackbean garlic sauce, beef,chicken or pork.

The packages we get here are so vacuum packed that they are solid like a brick! I find I have to let them sit at room temp, then separate them before warming them in the microwave. You have to make sure the wok is well coated with oil, is hot, and be gentle when stir-frying the noodles or they will clump together.

For my grandson and daughter, they just like the noodles stir-fried with oyster sauce; no meat or vegetables. I love it fried lightly with soy, then topped with the bittermelon, blackbean garlic sauce.

Gai lan and oyster sauce is another variation. With char siu, I like to use bean sprouts, green onions and ginger.

Ah Leung: The noodles in your picture look so fresh! Did you have to warm them in the microwave or in warm water before you cooked them?

When I had the restaurant, we used the dry noodles because they held up better in the buffet. They are more chewy and I like that too.

[NancyH]

Thank you Ah Leung - this is one of my favorite dishes!

[Toliver]

This looks similar to a dish called Beef Chow Fun (dry style). Does anyone know if it is the same dish or if there is a difference?

[sheetz]

This looks similar to a dish called Beef Chow Fun (dry style).  Does anyone know if it is the same dish or if there is a difference?

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Exactly the same. Chow Fun means "stir fried rice noodles."

[KateC]

Dejah,

The fresh rice noodles I saw at the Chinese store are fresh, not vacuum packed. I had the package in my hands last time I went there.The sheets are soft and glistening.

Things like shiu mai, char siu, ducks and chicken feet ( love those!), joong, jaozi spring rolls and wonton wraps, as well as rice noodles are delivered there every day, always in small quantities to keep their freshness.

Thanks a lot for your directions in how to get a nice fresh rice nodles. Your instructions are very important. I didn't know the threads could clump together.

I have a hand hammered wok bought in Hong Kong, very well seasoned. I've been using it around 8 years. Its like a nonstick pan by now. Do the rice noodles would stick in it still?

Yes, I'm still fond of bittergourds or bitter melons. Around here they are called Japanese cucumbers. Your suggestions are great! Thank you

[hzrt8w]

Ah Leung: The noodles in your picture look so fresh! Did you have to warm them in the microwave or in warm water before you cooked them?

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Yes, they are pretty fresh. Benefit of living in a large Chinese community. Yes I still heat them up in a microwave before frying - to reduce the time to cook in a wok.

[hzrt8w]

This looks similar to a dish called Beef Chow Fun (dry style).  Does anyone know if it is the same dish or if there is a difference?

←

Like sheetz said... same thing. I have modified the first post to add in this reference.

I didn't in the first round because "chow fun" sounds funny...

[hzrt8w]

I have a hand hammered wok bought in Hong Kong, very well seasoned. I've been using it around 8 years. Its like a nonstick pan by now. Do the rice noodles would stick in it still?

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KateC: Welcome to eGullet! And thank you for all your kind words.

The rice noodles won't stick to the wok if you do it right: high heat and coat the wok with cooking oil evenly before cooking (tilt the wok in a circle, or use the spatula to scoop the hot oil and spread around.

[mizducky]

Yum! I just love chow fun, but I've only ever had it in restaurants. I'll have to try this recipe really soon!

Dejah mentioned that the dry noodles wind up chewier than the fresh noodles--but the fresh ones still have a little chewiness to them, right? (I really dig that chewy texture too, and as I've only had this in restaurants I suspect it's the dry ones I've been served.)

[hzrt8w]

(I really dig that chewy texture too, and as I've only had this in restaurants I suspect it's the dry ones I've been served.)

←

????? Using dry rice noodles? I really doubt it, especially the ones in your Convoy area.

Those bastardized American restaurants won't carry chow fun dishes. Those who do would only use fresh ones.

For good reasons... fresh rice noodles cannot last too long (turn moldy or dry out). Chow mein (wheat noodles) keeps much longer.

Chow fun shouldn't be too chewy. But then again this is a subjective description. Unless you can describe in scientific terms, like how many pounds per square inch of chewing pressure, and how many chewing cycles to severe the noodles...

Are you going to tell the people in China Max that you won't order this dish any more now that you know how to make it?

Edited August 1, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[mizducky]

(I really dig that chewy texture too, and as I've only had this in restaurants I suspect it's the dry ones I've been served.)

←

????? Using dry rice noodles? I really doubt it, especially the ones in your Convoy area.

Those bastardized American restaurants won't carry chow fun dishes. Those who do would only use fresh ones.

For good reasons... fresh rice noodles cannot last too long (turn moldy or dry out). Chow mein (wheat noodles) keeps much longer.

Chow fun shouldn't be too chewy. But then again this is an objective description. Unless you can describe in scientific terms, like how many pounds per square inch of chewing pressure, and how many chewing cycles to severe the noodles...

Are you going to tell the people in China Max that you won't order this dish any more now that you know how to make it?

←

Y'know, somehow I've yet to eat at China Max ... dunno why ...

Where I've wound up having chow fun in the San Diego area is--don't laugh--the China Camp Express restaurant inside the Viejas Casino. And they do a surprisingly decent job of it, too--at least as far as I can tell. Admittedly, most of this place's menu is pretty danged Americanized. However, the menu also includes a few surprises--not only chow fun, but also congee--with salted pork and thousand-year egg, yet. Otherwise, yeah, I haven't seen chow fun on the menus of any of the Chinese restaurants I've visited in this town.

(I was at the casino only to see my friend's band perform--honest! )

[...tm...]

Brilliant. I knew there was something missing from my chow fun--little did I know it was the microwave. I've always softened the "fresh" rice noodles, which are often slightly dried or severely clumped together in hot water, but this leaves them too wet for dry chow fun. I can't wait to try out this high-tech microwave chow fun.

[KateC]

Thank you Ah Leung

And also thank you for share your culinary expertise.

I can't wait to get the fresh rice noodles next time I visit the Chinese grocery and try my hand in this beautiful recipe.

[Dejah]

(I really dig that chewy texture too, and as I've only had this in restaurants I suspect it's the dry ones I've been served.)

←

????? Using dry rice noodles? I really doubt it, especially the ones in your Convoy area.

Those bastardized American restaurants won't carry chow fun dishes. Those who do would only use fresh ones.

For good reasons... fresh rice noodles cannot last too long (turn moldy or dry out). Chow mein (wheat noodles) keeps much longer.

Chow fun shouldn't be too chewy. But then again this is an objective description. Unless you can describe in scientific terms, like how many pounds per square inch of chewing pressure, and how many chewing cycles to severe the noodles...

←

I used rehydrated dry ho fun because fresh was not readily available. You are right in saying that they spoil quickly, so if I ordered them once a week, I don't know how long they've been sitting in the warehouse coolers before shipping. With a huge bowl of rehydrated noodles, they were sure to keep better in my cooler. I kept cases of 100 pkges in my storeroom, so they awere readily available and can be rehydrated quickly in hot water.

As well, it's a matter of $. I was able to get more for my money than the fresh. I prefer the fresh but you do what you gotta do. We didn't serve off the menu; only as a buffet filler in place of chow mein.

As for the chewiness, perhaps the Chinese phrase "gnun de" would better describe the difference in texture. The noodles don't break down as easily when you stir-fry a huge wokful, nor do they break into bits and pieces when handled by "feeders" at the buffet. Don't you go "Geekie" on me with your scientific jargon!

BTW, is there such a thing as "bastardized American"?

Kate: Even tho' your wok is well seasoned, you'd still have to make sure the wok is hot, THEN swirl oil to cover the complete cooking surface. I always lightly salt the oiled surface, add the noodles, then lightly salt the top of the noodles before mixing. That way, seasoning will be through all the noodles.

[I_call_the_duck]

Thank you, Ah Leung. I've always had trouble with the noodles sticking whenever I make this dish. Now I know the trick!

Just out of curiousity, what did you do before you had a microwave? Would steaming produce the same texture/softness?

A variation that I love but have yet to try is made with pickled mustard greens.

Edited August 1, 2006 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[Dejah]

Just out of curiousity, what did you do before you had a microwave? Would steaming produce the same texture/softness? 

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You don't really need the microwave. Just open the package, shake the noodles loose, and let it come to room temperature if they've been in the fridge. Make sure you still cover the noodles while they are "resting" or they will dry out.

Always be sure to make the wok hot, then coat with oil.

[sheetz]

For anyone who still has problems with the rice noodles sticking just do what I do: spray the noodles with Pam and rub them with your hands to coat evenly. Once I started doing this I've never had aproblem with sticking.

My local chinese grocer hasn't been stocking the fresh noodles recently so if I want chow fun I'd have to use the dried. I don't like them as much, but as Dejah said, you do what you got to do.

Edited August 1, 2006 by sheetz (log)

[NancyH]

I find that the fresh noodles freeze very well - they lose a little texture, but they remain superior to dry. Just defrost them slowly, in the frige overnight, and they are good as new!

[I_call_the_duck]

I actually had a problem with the noodles sticking to the pan in my pre-microwave days. To reheat my noodles, I used to add them directly to the wok--which probably was not hot enough to begin with--thus resulting in a sticky mess.

Pam, eh? Gotta try that next.

[Dejah]

I find that the fresh noodles freeze very well - they lose a little texture, but they remain superior to dry.  Just defrost them slowly, in the frige overnight, and they are good as new!

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I found the noodles tend to break more easily after they've been frozen. This is probably due to the change in texture.

And, the texture changes because the moisture in the noodles are drawn out and turned into ice crystals.

[hzrt8w]

I found the noodles tend to break more easily after they've been frozen. This is probably due to the change in texture.

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Yes indeed. That is very true... as illustrated from many scientific experiments, freezing carbohydrates (e.g. rice noodles) will break the polymer chains inside the carbohydrates because the water molecules will.....

Oops... don't go geeky on Dejah Dai Ga Jeah....

[Dejah]

I found the noodles tend to break more easily after they've been frozen. This is probably due to the change in texture.

←

Yes indeed. That is very true... as illustrated from many scientific experiments, freezing carbohydrates (e.g. rice noodles) will break the polymer chains inside the carbohydrates because the water molecules will.....

Oops... don't go geeky on Dejah Dai Ga Jeah....

←

Where's my gai mo shau?

[KateC]

Kate: Even tho' your wok is well seasoned, you'd still have to make sure the wok is hot, THEN swirl oil to cover the complete cooking surface. I always lightly salt the oiled surface, add the noodles, then lightly salt the top of the noodles before mixing. That way, seasoning will be through all the noodles.

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I'm saving your instructions, as well as others in this tread! I'm not a huge fan of dried rice noodles, which I've been using in Thai dishes.

I'm looking forward to replace those with the fresh ones, from now on. I loved how it looks at the Chinese grocery and at Ah Leung pics.