With a slightly sticky, silky, beef, ginger and egg sauce poured over charred flat rice noodles, Ginger Beef Kuey Teow is not always the prettiest dish on the table but when done right, it comes together in a delightful burst of textures and flavours.
Smoky, meaty, a little zingy and fresh, the noodles are soft and maybe even a little squishy, while the braised beef is tender. Spring onions and ginger give a little bite, while the sauce is absolutely slurp-worthy.
It’s the kind of dish that makes you wish you weren’t in a restaurant so you could lick the entire plate clean.
Ginger Beef Kuey Teow is not commonly made at home but it’s not actually a difficult dish to put together either. It takes some preparation, but comes together very quickly in the wok.
Ingredients:
- 150g flat rice noodles (kuey teow)
- 200g sliced beef
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 ½ inches ginger, peeled and julienned
- 2 tbsp Chinese parsley
- 2 tbsp spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces, greens only
- ½ cup prawn stock
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold prawn stock
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp cooking oil
Method: The kuey teow
- Heat and season your wok by wiping a thin layer of oil around it with a paper towel. You will know your wok is hot enough when the layer of oil has dried up and the wok seems to glow.
- Add 3 tablespoons cooking oil. If your wok is hot enough, the oil will be sufficiently hot in a few seconds. Otherwise, let it reach a temperature of 180°C to 200°C. You also want the oil to start smoking for extra flavour.
- Next, add the kuey teow and fry until a light golden brown, about 1 minute. Do this by tossing the noodles in the oil.
- If you have sufficient space, ventilation and skills, use the flame to lick the noodles, which will give it a nice, smoky-charred taste. This will also seriously impress your date.
- Remove the kuey teow and place in a serving bowl.
Method: The sauce
- Add another 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. When hot, add in garlic and both cuts of ginger. Fry until fragrant and the garlic has browned lightly.
- Add in beef and stir until cooked.
- Next, add in oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir through the ingredients.
- Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir and add it to the wok. Stir it through for a second or two, then add in prawn stock, salt, sugar and pepper. Stir until the sauce browns and thickens.
- Turn the fire off and pour the egg whites over the sauce. Quickly stir through to create fine strands of egg whites.
- Pour the ginger beef sauce over the noodles and add parsley and spring onions on top to decorate.
- Serve hot.
Extra tips
- When buying kuey teow, don’t go for those refrigerated as they usually don’t last as long as those that aren’t.
- For better distribution of flavour, make sure the noodles are separated into individual strands. As they can be quite fine and hard to spot, focus especially on the lumps that clump together.
- Tossing your kuey teow can get really messy. Even the best of chefs will find strands of noodles landing in random places. Be prepared for a clean-up.
- You can also use chicken or vegetable stock instead of prawns.
- If you want, you can also add the kuey teow back into the thickened sauce and mix it up together first before serving.
- Avoid preparing this dish, especially the sauce, in advance, as the cornstarch can break down resulting in a watery mess instead.
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com
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