Beef Chow Fun

Beef chow fun or gon chow ngau ho (乾炒牛河) is a classic and well known Cantonese noodle dish like wonton noodle soup, soy sauce noodle, lo mein, Singapore rice noodles, crispy pan fried noodles and lobster yee mein. Also, this beef chow fun recipe is healthier because less oil is used. Let's learn how to make beef chow fun at home with step by step photos and a video for your lunch, dinner or gatherings.  

Love noodles? Check out these pad Thai, instant noodles stir fry, chow mein, chicken yi mein, japchae Korean glass noodle, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, laksa noodle soup and pho noodle soup recipes.

What is beef chow fun (乾炒牛河)?

Beef chow fun is a classic and well known Cantonese dish in southern China. It is a stir fry beef with ho fun (wide rice noodles) and bean sprouts. In Cantonese, it called gon chow ngau ho (乾炒牛河). Literally, translated as dry fry beef with ho fun noodles.

In English, people often call it beef chow fun. “Chow” means stir fry, “fun” refers to the type of rice noodle. The noodles are flat, wide rice noodles that have a chewy texture. In Cantonese, we call it "ho fun" or "he fen” in mandarin. 

Typically, the dish is cooked on high heat in a wok to ensure the ingredients are quickly seared and infused with the flavors of the sauce. Also, the wide rice noodles are soft. Beef chow fun is a delicious and filling dish among Chinese restaurants around the world because of its satisfying flavors, contrasting textures and simplicity. 

What does beef chow fun taste like?

Beef chow fun is a delightful combination of tender beef, soft and chewy rice noodles with fresh vegetables. The  aroma of ginger and green onion stir fry with savory marinade beef sauce, crunchy bean sprout and chewy rice noodles gives this dish a tasty and satisfying texture. 

What is ho fun?

Ho fun is flat, wide rice noodles. Also, it is known as Shahe fen because it originated from Shahe, Guangzhou. Ho fun usually cook in soup or stir fry. Besides, ho fun can be dry fry (stir fry without sauce) or wet fry (stir fry with a slurry sauce). 

These noodles are made from rice flour and water, which gives them their distinctive chewy and smooth texture. Ho fun is thicker and broader compared to other types of rice noodles like vermicelli. The width of the noodles can vary, but usually they are around 1 to 2 inches wide.

What is the difference between chow mein and chow fun noodles?

Chow mein and chow fun are both popular Chinese noodle dishes. They use the same method “Chow” which means stir fry. The difference is the type of noodles used. In Chinese, “Mein” is a general term for noodles. It can mean Chinese egg noodles to pasta noodles.

However, “Fun” is a general term for noodles that are made from rice. In this case, the type of “Fun” refers to “Ho Fun”, wide and flat rice noodles. It has a softer and chewier texture. 

How to make the best beef chow ho fun or gon chow ngau ho?

First, marinate the meat. Then, add the marinated beef into the wok and stir fried. Next, add other ingredients, ho fun noodles and sauce. After that, add bean sprouts and stir fry with chow fun.

The most important factor to make good beef chow fun is "wok hei" (鑊氣) which is cooking over a high flame and stirring quickly. Not only stir ho fun quickly, but also need to handle them gently, so the noodles will not break into pieces. Besides, the amount of oil needs to be controlled very well. If not, the excess oil will dry up noodles texture and ruin the dish. 

How to make the beef tender like restaurants?

Most of the restaurants add kansui, potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate, into the beef and tenderize the meat. Then, rinse the beef with water. After that, they marinade and season the beef.

I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of kansui and mixing with the sliced beef for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the beef with water (3 times). After that, marinate the beef. If you don’t have kansui, you can use baked baking soda (bake the baking soda at 200F for an hour). Add 1 teaspoon of baked baking soda into the beef, mix it well and let it tenderize the meat for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the beef with water (3 times) before marinating them. 

What kind of beef should I use?

In order to make a good and tasty beef chow fun dish, choosing the right cut of beef is important. Some cuts of beef are naturally more tender than others. Look for cuts labeled as "tender" or "steaks" such as tenderloin, ribeye and sirloin because these cuts are more tender and require less effort to make them tender. I usually choose steak style beef for stir fry dishes. 

What are the ingredients in beef chow fun?

In this beef chow ho fun recipe, there are three main ingredients: ho fun rice noodles, beef and bean sprouts.

Beef marinade:

I like to use simple and common ingredients to marinate the beef such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic powder for this gon chow ngau ho recipe. 

Can I use dried rice noodles as a substitute for fresh flat rice noodles?

Yes, you can use dried rice noodles instead of fresh flat rice noodles if you cannot find fresh ho fun. Dried rice noodles offer a slightly different texture but can still work. First, you need to soak the noodles to rehydrate them. Then, add some water when you stir fry them. 

Can I substitute with other vegetables?

Sure, you can add or substitute with other vegetables like onions, green onions, baby bok choy and choy sum. 

Cooking tips for how to cook beef chow fun:

• Personally, I love beef chow fun and I like to make it at home using less oil. The tip is to use a non-stick pan and chopsticks to stir fry.
• I like to use fresh ho fun. If you cannot find fresh ho fun, use dry ho fun it works too.
• Although I can find fresh ho fun at the store nearby, most of the time they are refrigerated. Often, I microwave the ho fun noodles and cover with a wet paper towel for a minute or two to soften them first. It is easier to separate and stir fry them. 

FAQs:

Instructions for how to make beef chow fun or gon chow ngau ho (乾炒牛河):

Preparation:

1. If ho fun rice noodles have been refrigerated before, cover ho fun with a wet paper towel and microwave them for one or two minutes. (1 pack of ho fun rice noodles 32oz or 2 pounds.)

2. Next, separate the ho fun, so it’s not stack together. It is easier to stir fry.

3. Wash and cut 2 sticks of green onion into strips.

4. After that, sliced ½ pound of beef into strips.

5. Put the beef into the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, ½ tablespoon of brown sugar, ½ tablespoon of sesame oil and ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder. Mix it well.

6. Let it marinate the beef for 15 minutes before cooking.

Cooking:

7. After, pour ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. Add 2 cups of washed bean sprouts, sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of salt and stir fry for a minute or so. Then, set them aside.

8. Next, add 5 slices of ginger and the marinated beef into a non-stick pan.

9. Then, stir fry them until it turns brown. And, set them aside. (Don't over cook the beef.)

10. In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and ½ tablespoon of brown sugar. Mix it well.

11. Add ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. 

12. Then, add ho fun noodles, and pour the sauce mixture from step 9 stir fry the noodles for a minute to two.

13. The following, add the cooked beef, bean sprouts, green onion to the noodles and stir fry them a little bit.

Enjoy this delicious and simple gon chow ngau ho or Chinese beef chow ho fun recipe! Also, check out these chicken udon stir fry, salt & pepper squid, pan fried buns, cashew shrimp, lychee slush, Thai peanut sauce and chicken satay recipes.

You May Also Like These Noodle Recipes:

• BRAISED BEEF HO FUN NOODLE SOUP (牛腩河)
• JAPCHAE KOREAN GLASS NOODLES
• CHICKEN YI MEIN NOODLES
• CHICKEN STIR FRIED UDON NOODLES

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