Fried Beef Noodles 炒牛肉面

A recreation of what I’ve tasted in Tong Kee in Kampar. But not the current Tong Kee.. the old one. My mom said, my late dad used to eat this with her when they were dating.

I’ve added a pinch of baking soda to the beef to tenderize it. And the beef has to be marinated overnight to dry it up, so that it won’t release juices when it’s being cooked.
This can’t be cooked with the methods we see the restaurants use, because the heat from our burners are no match to theirs. Our beef must be browned in advance to achieve full flavour, and removed to prevent it from overcooking.


150gm beef
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of baking soda
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
400gm yellow noodles (mi kuning), loosen and snip shorter before use. Don’t let them clump together. Ramen will work fine here as well. Just need to blanch it before use.
3 Tbsp dark soy sauce (depends on how dark ur dark soy is, I used Lee Kum Kee)*
2 Tbsp light soy sauce ( u might need more, I don't recommend salt here)
1 Tbsp sugar (U may adjust the light and dark soy sauce amounts, but this amount of sugar is vital to the final taste)
1 cup water
3 stalks or more choy sum (mustard green), cut into 2 inch lengths

Marinate beef in following sequence, mixing well after each addition, and leave it overnight in the fridge.
1. Baking soda
2. Soya sauce +sugar
3. Cornstarch
4. Sesame oil
Remove from fridge an hour before cooking time. Let it come to room temperature and separate meat pieces , don’t let them clump together.

Cooking:
1. Heat wok until very hot. Put in 3 Tbsp oil and make sure the whole of wok is smeared with the hot oil. Don’t forget the spatula must be heated in the oil too.
2. Put in marinated beef and stir fry until fragrant and browned. It should only take 30 seconds.
3. Remove beef and set aside.
4. Put in 2 Tbsp oil and put in garlic. When garlic is fragrant, put in yellow noodles and stir fry for a while.
5. Put in choy sum and mix. Put the beef back into the wok and put in water and seasonings.Taste, if it is slightly undersalted, it's just nice, cos the water will reduce later and by then it will be just right.
6. Cook until water has half dried up. Dish up and serve.

This whole cooking process is less than 5 minutes.
* If you are using dark caramel sauce, you will need about 1 Tbsp, and jack up the light soy sauce.