Beef Chow Fun with Black Bean Sauce
Submitted by 4given
Beef chow fun stir-fries marinated flank steak with fresh wide rice noodles, fermented black bean paste, garlic, ginger, onion, and peppers. A 15-minute Cantonese wok classic.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
5 minREADY
15 minWide Rice Noodles in Smoky Black Bean Sauce
Chow fun is the Cantonese take on stir-fried rice noodles, and this version leans into the funky depth of fermented black beans. The dish lives or dies on wok hei, that smoky, slightly charred flavor a screaming-hot wok imparts in seconds. Get the wok properly hot before any oil hits, and don’t crowd the pan.
The noodles are the showpiece. Fresh wide rice noodles need to be gently separated by hand, not boiled, since boiling turns them to mush. They go in last and just long enough to soak up the seasoned oil and sauce.
The black bean paste is what gives this dish its identity. Soak Chinese fermented black beans briefly to rinse off excess salt, then mash with garlic and ginger into a coarse paste. Bloomed in hot oil for ten seconds, it becomes the savory backbone the rest of the dish builds on.
Chef Tips
- Slice the flank steak thinly across the grain. Thin, against-grain slices stay tender even after a quick high-heat sear.
- Have every ingredient prepped and within arm’s reach before you fire the wok. Once you start, the whole dish takes 3 to 4 minutes.
- Use a carbon steel or cast iron wok if you have one. Stainless and nonstick can’t deliver wok hei.
- Don’t oversalt. Black beans and soy sauce together carry plenty of sodium.
Variations
- Swap green bell pepper for bok choy, sugar snap peas, or sliced Chinese chives.
- Use chicken or shrimp in place of beef, adjusting the cook time accordingly.
- Add a splash of Shaoxing wine at the end for an extra layer of fragrance.
Ingredients
seeded and cut into one inch cubes, or sugar snap pea, or bok choy, or a combination *
Directions
CUT THE BEEF into ¼ inch thick by 1½-inch long by ½-inch wide slices; put into a bowl and toss with the beef marinade.
Set aside.
Cover the black beans with water until soft, about 5 minutes.
Drain and rinse off excess salt with water.
Place in a small bowl and mash together garlic and ginger into a coarse paste; set aside.
Separate the strands of rice noodles.
Set aside. Over high heat, preheat the wok until hot.
Add half the oil and swirl it to coat the sides.
When the oil is hot, add the beef; toss until the beef loses its redness, about 30-to-45 seconds.
Remove to a bowl; set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the wok. While the oil is warming add the black bean mixture; stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Over high heat, add the onions and peppers; stir-fry until they begin to soften but are still crisp about 1 minute.
Add the rice noodles; stir-fry to coat the strands with seasoned oil, for about 30 seconds.
Add the white pepper, sugar, and soy sauce; toss until evenly distributed. Return the beef; toss a few turns to mix in.
Transfer to a serving platter.
Serve immediately.
Comments
The ingredient list includes "2 cloves, minced." (How do you mince a clove??) But the directions say to "mash the garlic and ginger into a paste." Aha! (There is no mention of garlic in the ingredient list.) Perhaps you might revise the ingredient list.
Thanks for your comment. It should be 2 cloves of garlic, minced. Just edited it. Hope that you will enjoy the recipe :)