Beef Pad See Ew (Thai Wok-Fried Wide Rice Noodles in Dark Soy)
Quick answer
Beef pad see ew is a Thai wok-fried noodle dish built around wide rice noodles and dark soy sauce.
What makes this special
- Beef Pad See Ew features wide rice noodles stir-fried with dark soy sauce and Chinese broccoli.
- Dark soy sauce coats wide rice noodles with deep brown color and sweet umami
- Pressing noodles briefly on the wok floor creates the essential char
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Slice 180 g beef thinly against the grain, coat it with 0.5 tbsp light soy sauce, and rest for 10 minutes.
- 2 Mix 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce, the remaining 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oy...
- 3 Heat the wok on very high heat until a light wisp of smoke appears, then add oil and 3 garlic cloves.
Beef pad see ew is a Thai wok-fried noodle dish built around wide rice noodles and dark soy sauce. The name translates to 'fried with soy sauce,' and broad, silky noodles are stained deep brown by dark soy, balanced with light soy and oyster sauce for a sweet-savory glaze. Thinly sliced beef is seared first in a blazing wok, then noodles go in to absorb the sauce and char slightly against the hot metal. Chinese broccoli or kale adds crunch from its stems and softness from its leaves. The defining element is wok hei - the smoky flavor that only comes from letting noodles sit against the wok until they pick up toasted spots.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Slice 180 g beef thinly against the grain, coat it with 0.5 tbsp light soy sauce, and rest for 10 minutes.
Gently separate 250 g wide rice noodles by hand so they loosen without tearing.
- 2Season
Mix 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce, the remaining 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and 1 tsp sugar before cooking.
Stir until no sugar grains remain, so the glaze coats the noodles evenly.
- 3Control
Heat the wok on very high heat until a light wisp of smoke appears, then add oil and 3 garlic cloves.
When the garlic smells fragrant, spread the beef out and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
- 4Prep
When the outside of the beef turns brown, add the noodles and loosen them with chopsticks or a spatula using broad motions.
Keep the heat high and avoid overmixing, because wide rice noodles can break.
- 5Season
Pour the prepared sauce around the edge of the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the noodles turn deep brown.
Add the 120 g kale stems first, then the leaves, cooking only until just wilted.
- 6Finish
At the end, press the noodles against the bottom of the wok for about 20 seconds to build toasted spots.
Flip before they smell burnt, and serve immediately while the kale still has some crunch.
After the steps
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