Beef chow fun (Gon chow ngau ho)
Photo: stu_spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0

History

Beef chow fun (gon chow ngau ho, 乾炒牛河) is a Cantonese flagship dish that emerged in the Pearl River Delta in the 1930s and was perfected by Hong Kong's siu chow joints in the postwar decades. The dry-fry technique distinguishes it from the wetter wat tan ngau ho with egg gravy; everything depends on the wok hei, the breath of the wok, achieved only with extreme heat and a seasoned carbon-steel surface. Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop in IFC and Sham Tseng siu mei joints across the city keep the dry-fry standard alive; the dish is the litmus test a Cantonese cook is judged on.

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Common allergens: Soy, Sesame, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 25 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 300g flat rice noodles (ho fun), fresh if possible, separated by hand
  • 250g flank or sirloin beef, sliced 3mm thick against the grain
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil for marinade
  • 150g mung bean sprouts
  • 4 spring onions, cut to 5cm lengths
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil for wok
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce (finishing)
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce (finishing)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Method

  1. Toss the sliced beef with marinade ingredients (light and dark soy, Shaoxing, cornflour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 tbsp neutral oil). Rest 20 minutes.
  2. If the noodles are stuck together, microwave 30 seconds and gently pull apart by hand; never with a knife.
  3. Heat a carbon-steel wok over the highest heat until smoking. Add 1 tbsp oil; swirl.
  4. Drop the beef in a single layer. Sear 30 seconds undisturbed, then stir-fry 30 seconds. Tip onto a plate (still rare in the middle).
  5. Wipe the wok and reheat. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil.
  6. Add the noodles and toss for 60 seconds, breaking nothing. Drizzle the finishing soy sauces around the rim of the wok so they char as they hit.
  7. Return the beef. Add the bean sprouts and spring onion. Toss 30 seconds.
  8. Finish off the heat with the sesame oil. Plate immediately.

Tip from the editors. Add the soy at the rim of the wok, not the centre; the soy needs to caramelise on the hot metal to give the signature char-soy aroma.

Where to eat beef chow fun (gon chow ngau ho)

Beef chow fun (Gon chow ngau ho) in Hong Kong

Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop ★ 4.2

$$ CantoneseTsim Sha Tsui

Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop inside Elements mall is the Michelin Bib Gourmand 1946 era Cantonese counter for shrimp wonton noodles and prawn congee.

OrderFresh shrimp wonton noodles in superior broth.

TipThey do not take reservations; arrive before 12:00 to skip the office tower queue.

Directions

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