TRICK OF THE TRADE
There are 2 secrets to really good Beef Hor Fun, and they all have to do with ‘wok hei’, a slightly charred and caramelized flavour, which is achieved through cooking the dish over very high heat. Professionals have specially made large commercial stoves with 2 rings of fire to give them the heat needed, but at home, this can be tricky. Here’s the 2 secrets to wok hei at home!
- Use Black Vinegar to gives the Hor Fun an added ‘Wok Hei’ and `a very flavorful burnt taste.
- Ensure the pan is smoking hot before adding the oil and frying the Hor Fun.
Try it out and see how it goes!
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH
- Of course, the ‘wok hei’ flavour of this dish always is a highlight! It is tricky to achieve at home, but having ‘wok hei’ will elevate the taste of the dish.
- The beef is also very tender in this dish! See the tips on how to prep and cook tender beef.
HOW TO MAKE DRY FRIED BEEF HOR FUN?
Wash beef and cut into slices by across the grain of the meat.
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Marinate the beef in the marinade ingredients while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Peel the ginger and cut into slices. Remove the head and root ends of the beansprouts, then rinse and drain dry.
Peel the onion and cut into thin wedges. Wash and cut the spring onion into 5 cm lengths
Wash the Chye Sim, then separate the leaves from the stems. For the stems, remove the root end and peel off the outer skin which can be quite fibrous, then cut into 5 cm lengths.
Add 100ml of oil into a wok over high heat, then fry the beef for 1-2 minutes until 80% cooked.
To achieve a wok hei effect, heat up a pan to smoking point, then add in 2 TBsp of the oil used to fry the beef. Add in the Hor Fun, light soy sauce, black vinegar and dark soy sauce. Toss the Hor Fun in the wok (or use chopsticks) until it’s evenly coated with the sauces, and is slightly charred, then transfer to a plate.
Heat up 1 TBsp of beef oil in the wok over medium heat, then add in the ginger and chopped garlic and fry until aromatic.
Next add in the sliced onions and chye sim stalks and fry for a minute, then add in the chye sim leaves and 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste)
Add back the pre-cooked beef, 1 tsp of dark soy sauce, beansprouts, spring onions and hor fun and fry, mixing well until the beef is cooked.
Transfer to a dish and garnish with some cut chilli (optional).
MARKETING TIPS
- Use Bentong ginger for a stronger and spicier flavour.
- Yellow onion is preferred because of its sweetness.
COOKING TIPS
- Use your thumb as a pivot when peeling ginger with a knife to stabilise the knife as you are scraping off the skin.
- Wash the Chye Sim with a little salt to get rid of the soil and debris. It helps to separate the stems from the leaves for more even cooking, as they have different cooking times. (applies to other leafy vegetables too)
- Revive beansprouts by placing in a bowl of cold water and leave in the fridge until they plump up again, if they are starting to dry out.
HOW TO PREPARE AND COOK THE BEEF
- Cut against the grain so that the beef will be more tender. The surface of the slices should have a criss-cross pattern, rather than just in one direction.
- Don’t slice it too thin, otherwise it will not have a nice substantial bite.
- Add cornflour to the beef to make it smooth and also to prevent it from being overcooked.
- Adding a little water to the beef marinade to make the beef more moist and tender.
- Cook the beef separately to 80% doneness, and then add it back into the hor fun at the end to complete the cooking process. This will help you avoid overcooking the beef.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI AT HOME
- Use Black Vinegar as it gives the Hor Fun an added ‘Wok Hei’ and a very flavourful burnt taste.
- Ensure the pan is smoking hot before adding the oil and frying the Hor Fun.
- Don’t use too much oil when stir frying beef as oil can lower the heat of the wok.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
- Egg-Free: No modifications needed.
- Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Gluten-Free: No modifications needed.
- Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
- Shellfish-Free: Replace Oyster Sauce with Mushroom Sauce
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Dry-Fried Beef Hor Fun (干炒牛河)
Ingredients
- 200 gm Beef
- 100 gm Bean Sprouts
- 5 slices Bentong Ginger
- 1 Yellow Onion Small
- 4-5 stalks Chye Sim
- 1 stalk Spring Onion
- 100 ml Oil For deep-frying the beef
- 2 tsp Chopped Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
For pre-frying the Hor Fun
- 500 gm Hor Fun
- 2-3 TBsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 TBsp Black Sweet Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
Marinade for Beef
- 1/4 tsp Sodium Bicarbonate
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 TBsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 Dash Pepper
- 1 TBsp Cornflour
- 3-4 TBsp Water
Instructions
PREPARATION METHOD
- Wash beef and cut into slices by across the grain of the meat.
- Marinate the beef in the marinade ingredients while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Peel the ginger and cut into slices. Peel the onion and cut into thin wedges. Wash and cut the spring onion into 5 cm lengths
- Wash the Chye Sim, then separate the leaves from the stems. For the stems, remove the root end and peel off the outer skin which can be quite fibrous, then cut into 5 cm lengths.
- Remove the head and root ends of the beansprouts, then rinse and drain dry.
COOKING METHOD
- Add 100ml of oil into a wok over high heat, then fry the beef for 1-2 minutes until 80% cooked.
- To achieve a wok hei effect, heat up a pan to smoking point, then add in 2 TBsp of the oil used to fry the beef.
- Add in the Hor Fun, light soy sauce, black vinegar and dark soy sauce. Toss the Hor Fun in the wok ( or use chopsticks) until it's evenly coated with the sauces, and is slightly charred, then transfer to a plate.
- Heat up 1 TBsp of beef oil in the wok over medium heat, then add in the ginger and chopped garlic and fry until aromatic.
- Next add in the sliced onions and chye sim stalks and fry for a minute, then add in the chye sim leaves and 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste)
- Add back the pre-cooked beef, 1 tsp of dark soy sauce, beansprouts, spring onions and hor fun and fry, mixing well until the beef is cooked.
- Transfer to a dish and garnish with some cut chilli (optional).
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
- Use Bentong ginger for a stronger and spicier flavour.
- Yellow onion is preferred because of its sweetness.
PREP TIPS
- Use your thumb as a pivot when peeling ginger with a knife to stabilise the knife as you are scraping off the skin.
- Wash the Chye Sim with a little salt to get rid of the soil and debris. It helps to separate the stems from the leaves for more even cooking, as they have different cooking times. (applies to other leafy vegetables too)
- Revive beansprouts in a bowl of cold water and leave in the fridge until they plump up again, if they are starting to dry out.
HOW TO PREP AND COOK BEEF FOR HOR FUN
- Cut against the grain so that the beef will be more tender. The surface of the slices should have a criss-cross pattern, rather than just in one direction.
- Don't slice it too thin, otherwise it will not have a nice substantial bite.
- Add cornflour to the beef to make it smooth and also to prevent it from being overcooked.
- Adding a little water to the beef marinade to make the beef more moist and tender.
- Cook the beef separately to 80% doneness, and then add it back into the hor fun at the end to complete the cooking process. This will help you avoid overcooking the beef.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI
- Use Black Vinegar as it gives the Hor Fun an added 'Wok Hei' and `a very flavorful burnt taste.
- Ensure the pan is smoking hot before adding the oil and frying the Hor Fun.
- Don't use too much oil when stir frying beef as oil can lower the heat of the wok.
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