Dish of Beef with Broccoli and Rice Noodles
(click to enlarge)

Beef with Broccoli & Rice Noodles


Thailand - Central   -   Kwaytiow Laht Nah
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2 main
***
35 min
Prep		 A very popular dish in California. The recipe will serve two as a single main dish or four in Asian style with other dishes. Working with the noodles is a bit tricky, so read the notes. See Recipe #2 for street vendor style.




10
7
7
4
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1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
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2
1/2
1/2
3
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oz
oz
oz
cl
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T
T
T
T
T
---
T
c
T
T
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Rice Noodles, wide (1)
Beef, lean
Broccoli, Chinese (2)
Garlic
-- Sauce
Fish Sauce (3)
Sugar (opt) (4)
Soy Sauce (5)
Rice Vinegar
Yellow Bean Sauce (6)  
----------
Oil
Stock
Cornstarch
Water
-- Serve with
Chili Vinegar Sauce (7)
      and/or
Chili Garlic Sauce (7)
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Separate and cut fresh RICE NOODLES 1 inch by 3 inches or soak dried in warm water, about 1 hour - either way see Note-1.
  2. Slice BEEF very thin in pieces about 1 inch x 2 inches.
  3. Cut BROCCOLI leaves into 2 inch pieces. Cut stems at a very shallow diagonal into "horse ears" about 1/4 inch thick at the base end increasing to 1 inch at the thin end. Keep stems separate from leaves and tender tips.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop medium.
  5. Mix together all Sauce items.
  6. Mix Cornstarch with 3 T Water.
Run   -   (15 min)
  1. Everything must be ready - this will go very fast.
  2. In a wok or spacious sauté pan heat Oil and fry Garlic stirring until the first hint of color, then turn the heat to very high and stir in Beef and Broccoli Stems. Fry stirring until the Beef has lost all it's raw color.
  3. Stir in Broccoli Leaves until well wilted, Then stir the Sauce Mix until well distributed.
  4. Stir in Stock and simmer covered stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes or until the stems are crisp tender.
  5. Stir up the Cornstarch and stir it in for a minute.
  6. Distribute Noodles over the top, separating them as well as you can, working quickly, especially if fresh, and tumble them in until reasonably well distributed.
  7. Serve immediately.
NOTES:

  1. Rice noodles:

      These should be 3/4 inch or wider. Unfortunately noodles that wide are hard to find either fresh or dried. I usually cut them 1 inch wide from fresh Rice Roll (sheets of rice noodle). These vary in thickness, thicker ones work better. If dried (Rice Flakes are a good size) soak in cool water 1 to 1-1/2 hours depending on thickness. 5-1/2 ounces will make 10 ounces soaked. If you are unpracticed you may find the dried more forgiving and easier to handle. Using fresh noodles, I cut the block into 2 inch widths, then rub the sheets loose one by one and cut them to width. Spread them out and keep them fluffed up so they don't all stick together. For details see our Rice Noodles page.

  2. Chinese Broccoli:

      Gai-lan is similar to Italian rapini but with larger leaves. If all you have is regular broccoli cut into small florets and discard tough main stem but keep all the smaller stems. For details see our Gai Lan page.

  3. Fish Sauce:

      This clear liquid is as essential to Southeast Asian cuisine as it was to Imperial Rome. If you are unfamiliar with it, see our Fish Sauce - Introduction page.

  4. Sugar:

      Optional, and I seldom use it - but it does cover the slight bitterness of broccoli if that would bother you.

  5. Soy Sauce:

      Most recipes call for "Dark Soy Sauce" but I prefer the lighter flavor and appearance of regular soy sauce.

  6. Yellow Bean Sauce:

      This is available in markets serving a Southeast Asian community. For details see our Yellow Bean Sauce page. You want the ugly dark one.

  7. Condiments:

      Two of the essential Thai table condiments (the third is dry chili flake). We have a recipe for Chili Vinegar Sauce. For the Chili Garlic Sauce the ubiquitous Huy Fong brand will do fine. It's not totally authentic (they don't have red ripe jalapeno chilies in Thailand - yet) but no-one seems to mind the extra flavor. For details see Huy Fong Chili Sauces
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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