Time: 30 minutes
Feeds: 2-3 people
Ingredients:
For the beef
- 8 ounces flank steak (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (or regular light soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
For the rest of the dish
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Freshly ground white pepper (to taste)
- 1 pound fresh pad thai rice noodles (you can also use 8 ounces dried rice noodles)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
- 2-3 heads baby Bok choy
- 2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
Directions: To the flank steak, add the dark soy sauce, vegetable oil, and cornstarch, and mix until the beef is completely coated. Set aside.
For the rest of the dish, combine the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, and white pepper in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.
Make sure your fresh rice noodles are at room temperature. If the noodles are really cold and stiff from refrigeration, rinse them quickly under hot tap water when you are ready to stir-fry the dish. This extra step will help you avoid a big homogenous lump of noodles during stir-frying. Be sure to shake off any excess water after rinsing and use them immediately.
The fresh rice noodles really set this dish apart from other noodle dishes, so try your best to find them. If you can’t find the fresh noodles, then use dried rice noodles but remember to halve the dried amount – 8 ounces of dried noodles to rehydrate to 16 ounces. Also, if using a dried rice noodle, follow the directions on the package and make sure you undercook the noodles slightly (al dente), since you will be cooking them again in the pan. After you drain the noodles thoroughly, toss the noodles with a tablespoon of oil. This will prevent them from sticking to the pan.
Heat your pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and spread 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok evenly to coat. Sear the beef until it is 80% cooked through, and transfer back to the marinade bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir in the garlic. Immediately add the bok choy and stir-fry for 20 seconds (stir constantly to prevent the garlic from burning).
Next, spread the noodles around the pan. Continue to work quickly–your pan should be at the highest heat setting. Spread the sauce mixture over the top of the noodles, and gently mix everything with your spatula using a scooping motion for about 20 seconds. Add the beef back to wok.
Push the mixture to one side to let the empty side of the pan heat for 10 seconds. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and add the beaten eggs. Wait 5 seconds for them to begin to cook. Scramble the eggs for another few seconds, breaking them up into smaller pieces.
If your pan is not sizzling at this point, it probably means that your burner is not hot enough. Be patient, and the heat should “catch up.” Stir-fry the mixture just enough so the noodles heat up evenly, but don’t break into small pieces. Make sure you use your spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan so the noodles don’t stick.
As the pan heats up, you will notice that the food will stick to it less readily! But if you need to, you can add a little oil to make it easier to stir-fry.
Continue cooking, stirring less frequently (so the noodles get slightly caramelized, creating that restaurant-style flavor) for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles are heated through. Serve with sriracha if you’d like to add a little spice!