When you’re in the mood for a quick and tasty dish, the likes of Pad See Ew Noodles often outshine other beloved takeaway noodle offerings such as Pork Lo Mein, Singapore Noodles, Pad Thai, and Drunken Noodles. It’s a quintessential example of Thai fast food that stands toe-to-toe with its rivals.
As long as all components are prepped in advance, it’s a breeze to toss together in a wok! No wonder this delightfully chewy Pad See Ew is a favorite street food across Thailand.
Every time I dish up a wide rice noodle entree, including Pad See Ew, it’s always a clean plate club scenario, consistently earning glowing reviews from family and friends!
Exploring Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew, akin to Chinese Beef Chow Fun, is a stir-fry of broad rice noodles. The taste is just as enticing, albeit the components differ slightly.
In contrast to the bean sprouts and scallions found in Beef Chow Fun, Pad See Ew incorporates egg and Chinese broccoli, all underscored by the distinctive flavor of fish sauce.
Though we’re preparing our pad see ew with beef, feel free to substitute chicken, pork, or tofu according to your preference.
Mastery of Wok Hei
Wok hei refers to the smoky, charred flavor hallmark of stellar stir-fries. The secret lies in cooking over exceedingly high heat.
This recipe yields enough for two or three famished folks, but to truly emulate restaurant or street food quality wok hei in your Pad See Ew, consider dividing the cooking process into two batches.
Since our home stovetops don’t match the heat output of commercial burners, splitting into smaller batches helps maintain elevated heat levels and yield impressive wok hei!
Keep in mind you’ll need efficient ventilation when crafting Pad See Ew, or perhaps a fan ready to ward off any smoke detector alerts.
Now that we’ve covered the essentials, let’s dive into the recipe!
Ingredients
For the Steak & Marinade, You’ll Need:
- 8 ounces flank steak (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon Thai black soy sauce (or regular light soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
For the Noodle Stir-Fry, You’ll Need:
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Thai soy sauce (or regular light soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Thai black soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Freshly ground white pepper (to taste)
- 1 pound fresh wide rice noodles (or 8 ounces dried rice noodles)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
- 3 cups Chinese broccoli (cut into 2-inch/5 cm pieces)
- 2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
Instructions
- Coat the flank steak with Thai black soy sauce, vegetable oil, and cornstarch, ensuring complete coverage. Let it rest.
- For the noodle stir-fry, mix the oyster sauce, sugar, Thai soy sauce, Thai black soy sauce, fish sauce, and white pepper in a small bowl. Stir until well blended.
- Ensure your fresh rice noodles are room temperature. If they’re cold and stiff from the fridge, rinse them briefly under hot tap water right before stir-frying. This will help avoid noodle clumping during the stir-fry. Shake off any excess water post-rinse and use them immediately.
- The fresh wide rice noodles distinguish this dish from other noodle offerings, so strive to source them. Alternatively, utilize our recipe for homemade rice noodles. If neither option is feasible, dried rice noodles will suffice—use half the quantity (8 ounces dry yields 16 ounces rehydrated). For dried noodles, follow the package instructions but aim for slightly undercooked (al dente) since they’ll undergo further cooking in the wok. After thoroughly draining, toss the noodles with a tablespoon of oil to prevent wok sticking.
- Crank up your wok until it just starts to smoke, then distribute 1 tablespoon of oil around the wok to create an even coating. Sear the beef until it is 80% cooked through, then transfer it back to the marinade bowl.
- Drizzle another spoonful of oil into the wok, quickly adding the garlic. The Chinese broccoli goes in right after, stir-frying it for about 20 seconds. Keep everything moving to avoid garlic burn.
- Swiftly arrange the noodles around the wok, ensuring the heat remains high. Drizzle the previously prepared sauce mixture across the noodles. Combine all the ingredients gently using your wok spatula for around 20 seconds, then reintroduce the beef to the mix.
- Set aside the mixture of noodles and beef, allowing the empty half of the wok to heat up for about 10 seconds. Introduce another spoon of oil to the wok, followed by the whisked eggs. Let them set for a few seconds, then stir to break them into bite-sized chunks.
9 . If your work isn’t emitting a sizzling sound at this point, your heat source might be too weak. Wait for a while until the heat builds up. Mix the ingredients carefully to warm up the noodles uniformly, keeping them intact. Be sure to slide your wok spatula along the wok bottom to avoid any sticking.
- As the temperature of the wok escalates, your stir-fry should become less sticky. If necessary, dribble a little more oil to ease the stir-frying process.
- Keep the stir-fry on the heat, stirring infrequently to allow for slight caramelization of the noodles. This step enhances the restaurant-style flavor. Maintain this process for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles are fully heated. Serve immediately, offering Homemade Chili Oil or Chiu Chow Sauce on the side for added flavor!