Destination
Singapore
The story
Beef kway teow is Singapore's Teochew-style beef flat-rice-noodle: wide flat rice noodles (kway teow) stir-fried hard in a screaming wok with thin slices of beef sirloin, garlic, Chinese chives, kai lan (Chinese kale) and a punchy sauce of dark sweet soy, oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine. Sold at every Teochew-Singaporean hawker stall, especially at old-school coffee shops in the Beach Road and Geylang areas, and made in every Chinese-Singaporean home for a fast Friday dinner. Served on a big plate to share, with a small dish of chili in soy sauce (chili-cai poh) on the side and a bottle of chin chow tea to drink.
Method
Toss the beef slices with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, white pepper and sesame oil. Rest 15 minutes.
If cold from the fridge, run under warm water and gently separate the strands (they clump when refrigerated). Toss with 1 tbsp oil.
Whisk all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Warm a wok over the highest heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp oil.
Add the marinated beef in a single layer. Do not stir for 60 seconds — let it sear. Toss and cook another 60 seconds until browned but still slightly rare. Tip onto a plate.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the wok. Add garlic, shallots and kai lan stems (thicker parts). Stir-fry 90 seconds.
Add the flat rice noodles to the wok. Toss gently (they break easily). Pour in the sauce mix. Toss for 90 seconds using a scooping motion until the sauce coats every strand and starts to catch slightly on the wok.
Return the beef to the wok. Add kai lan leaves, Chinese chives and spring onions. Toss for 45 seconds — greens should just wilt. Tip onto a big serving platter. Serve immediately with chili-soy on the side.
Tips
- Very hot wok. Wok hei is the whole point. Anything less and the noodles clump and steam.
- Toss gently. Flat rice noodles break easily. Use a scooping-and-flipping motion, not a vigorous stir.
- Sear beef first, remove. Cooking beef with noodles gives you grey stewed meat. Two-stage — sear, remove, add back — is the correct technique.
- Fresh flat rice noodles. Dried won't do — the texture is completely different. Fresh from an Asian grocer's refrigerated section.
- Serve immediately. Kway teow clumps within 5 minutes of plating. Wok to plate to table fast.
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