I have been craving for Hong Kong food for a while. Maybe it is the gloomy weather… It has been cloudy and dark all the time. In the past few days, tropical storm Blanca even brought in the humid. OH MY! That rainy, warm and humid weather really reminded me of Hong Kong. That weather is something I don’t miss at all. But because of that, I wanted to make something that has the flavors of home.
This beef fried rice is exactly the right one. I got this recipe from my blogger friend, Kayiu’s blog (Saucy Spatula). Kayiu is a talented food blogger. She also grew up in Hong Kong and currently lives in New York. She has many authentic recipes for Hong Kong cuisine, like curry beef brisket and iced red bean with coconut milk. At the same time, she creates many fusion dishes that combine the east and the west. I am always surprised when reading her blog. If you have a chance, check that out!
Hong Kong style beef fried rice (生炒牛肉飯) is one of those dishes that is served at Hong Kong cafes (茶餐廳). It is a delicious one plate dish that has a little bit of everything. Egg, beef, and veggie. The one stand out ingredient is the lettuce. Lettuce in fried rice? Yes! It sounds totally out-of-place, but the lettuce add some good crunch and freshness. When Bryan saw this fried rice for the first time, he stared me in the face and gave me a look. But after he had a bite, he said it was delicious! Hope you will enjoy it too!
More Hong Kong cafe recipes:
Baked Pork Chop with Fried Rice (焗豬扒飯)
Creamed corn with pork and rice (粟米肉粒飯)
Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings (瑞士雞翼)
Hong Kong Style Beef Fried Rice
3 servings
Ingredients:
– 1½ cup uncooked rice
– 2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
– ½ pound lean ground beef
– 2 large eggs (beaten)
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ½ teaspoon sugar
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– ¼ head of iceberg lettuce (sliced into ¼-inch strips)
– 2 green onions (finely chopped)
Marinade for beef:
– 1½ teaspoon soy sauce
– 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
– 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
– 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
– 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or sake
– ¼ teaspoon salt
– dash of ground white pepper
Directions:
- The day before, cook the rice in a rice cooker. Once the rice is cooked, let it cool to room temperature. Keep in the fridge overnight in an airtight container.
- In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients for the beef. Add beef and roughly combine. Marinate for 10 – 15 minutes at room temperature.
- In a large skillet or wok over high heat, add ½ tablespoon oil. Add the ground beef. Break them up into small pieces with a spatula. Cook until almost cooked through, about 90% done. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, wipe clean with a paper towel or clean under water if necessary. Turn the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the eggs and scramble quickly with a spatula. Add the rice when the eggs are still runny. Break apart the rice and cut the eggs into little pieces. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon sugar. Toss and cook for at least 3 minutes or until everything is combined. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Mix well. Add beef and combine again. Lastly, add the lettuce and green onion. Toss well and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer to serving plates. Serve immediately.
Tips:
- When combining the beef and marinade together, make sure not to over mix. The meat can turn sticky and stuck together, which will make it hard to separate during cooking.
(Adapted from Saucy Spatula)
I’m flattered that you’re featuring my recipe and blog on this post! 🙂 I’m so lucky!
You know I’m always down for some “fried lice” any day! Hehehee..
Gorgeous shot as always!
Hahaha!!! You are funny, Kayiu! You have a really awesome blog! Looking forward to reading more great recipes! 🙂
You know I love this, my friend! : ) I love any kind of HK cafe eats (and I’m excited to learn about Saucy Spatula – I need to spend some time there!!) and this fried rice is total comfort food. It’s funny how the lettuce totally works. I know a place that also makes their fried rice with small pieces of either asparagus stalks or chinese broccoli! So yummy! Your rice looks perfectly delicious – wish I could have some right now with a splash of Maggi on top. : ) Would you believe I never even made fried rice at home til maybe a couple of years ago. I’ve come a long way and I’m so glad I have places like this to learn from!
I LOVE HK cafe food too! I have no problem eating them every day! Bryan’s favorite is beef chow fun. But I still haven’t had the courage to try that. Will do that soon! But yea, it is funny that veggies really work in fried rice. Nice crunch and some freshness. Fried rice is the dish I like to make a lot. It is easy, satisfying and filling. Perfect for busy weeknights.
I love fried rice! And Kayiu’s blog is amazing – she’s so sweet! I’ve never had HK style beef fried rice, but it sounds incredible! I’ll definitely need to make this.
If you love fried rice, you will enjoy this! Very simple and packed with flavors! Great for leftover too! 🙂
This dish brings back some great memories. We had a wonderful time in Hong Kong and your fried rice recipe looks like the real deal. No matter how many times I have tried to replicate it, it’s never even close 🙂 So, I am really looking forward to trying this recipe. Looks amazing!
I really enjoyed this fried rice. I think the flavors are pretty close! Hopefully you won’t be disappointed. 😉
Yum!! I love this fried rice. It looks perfect! I could eat this everyday:)
Haha…. I can too eat this fried rice every day! 😀
This looks so great! It’s funny because we just had fried rice for dinner tonight. But I never thought to add white pepper. This looks delicious! I’ll definitely have to try your version soon.
I always make fried rice for dinner. Easy one plate meal! In Chinese cooking, white pepper is the one pepper to use. But if you can’t find white pepper, just use the black one. Hope you will like this Hong Kong version!
I made this tonight, exactly to recipe, and it’s the best fried rice I’ve ever made! My husband and I both loved it. I will definitely make this again.
I am very happy to hear that you guys loved it! This totally makes my day! I should make this again soon too! Thanks for coming back and leaving a feedback. 🙂
Wow, that looks so great!! I’m a big fan of fried rice too! You made it so well, Lokman, I can even smell the rice through the screen! There should be many more types of HK fried rice. Look forward to your other HK dishes! 🙂
HAHA! Thanks Andrew! Yes, I really need to look into man other fried rice recipes. Thanks for helping out with the name. 😉