Thai Beef Pad See Ew

20 mins Prep Time

7 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

Pad See Ew is a dish most commonly eaten in Thailand but pulls heavily from Chinese and Malaysian influences (Cantonese Beef Ho Fen and Malaysian Char Kway Teow, to be exact). Beef is probably the most popular protein to make this with but feel free to substitute it with chicken, tofu or even king oyster mushrooms. Usually made with wide fresh rice noodles known as Sa Ho Fen, these noodles are known for that slippery bouncy chew. Fresh Sa Ho Fen noodles really elevate this dish and give the mark of authenticity. I use whole fresh sheets and cut them into about 1-inch wide noodles myself; if you cannot find the whole sheets, pre-cut Fresh Ho Fen noodles also work. You can find them in most Asian grocery stores and they are definitely worth the trouble, but bear in mind: cut or uncut, it is the fresh noodle as opposed to the dried noodle that matters. If they are kept in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, you may notice they are a little hard and brittle; I would suggest giving them a quick bath in hot water from the faucet for a couple of minutes to soften and loosen them. Aside from the noodles, high cooking temperature and quick hands are key when trying to attain these perfectly charred and aromatically smoky noodles, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the method before beginning any cooking as it goes by in a flash.

Ingredients

Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon lime juice

Pad See Ew

1 pound fresh Sa Ho Fen noodle sheets (or already cut Ho Fen noodles)
6 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced
3 cups gai lan, cut into 1-inch pieces (split thick stems lengthwise first)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 red finger chili, sliced (optional)
1/2 lime, cut into wedges (optional garnish)

Directions

Thai Beef Pad See Ew

8 Steps

Step 1

In a small mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients for the sauce (regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, lime juice) stir to combine and set aside.
Step 2

In another small bowl combine the sliced beef flank, the 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and ½ tablespoon of canola oil, mix lightly to coat all of the beef slices and set aside.
Step 3

Cut the sa ho fen noodle sheets approximately into 1-inch pieces and, using your fingers, gently separate all of the layers.
Step 4

Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet on high heat. Pour in half of the remaining canola oil, begin cooking marinated beef slices in a single layer and sear until the beef slices are nice and crusted, approximately 45 seconds per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 5

In the same wok add in the remainder of the canola oil, then the chopped garlic, chopped gai lan and sliced red finger chilies. Working quickly, cook this mixture for 1 minute until the greens begin to wilt, stirring very regularly to prevent scorching.
Step 6

Push the mixture to one half of the pan and add in the beaten eggs, scramble and allow to cook and firm up for approximately 30 to 45 seconds, then gently fold in with rest of ingredients in the pan.
Step 7

Add in the separated fresh sa ho fen noodles as well as the sauce mixture, toss until evenly combined, be gentle so as to not break up the noodles too much.
Step 8

Transfer to serving plates, garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.