Hong Kong Style Beef Satay Noodle Soup

Let’s talk about breakfast! What kind of breakfast do Hong Kongers eat?

I will try my best to group them into a few categories.

1. Baked buns: Pineapple buns, BBQ pork buns, and sausage buns etc. You can either get them the day before or buy them fresh in the morning.
2. Sandwiches: Egg sandwiches, and sausage McMuffins with egg etc. Either it is from McDonald’s or else where, anything that is easy to eat on the go.
3. Dim sum: Shumai (燒賣), har gow (蝦餃), steamed rice noodles etc. Dim sum takes time, so this is mostly a weekend thing or for elderly and retired folks.
4. Congee and You Char Kway (油炸鬼): All kind of rice congee, with beef, pork, or century eggs. One of the side dishes that goes well with congee is You Char Kway. It is a savory fried dough, which is crispy on the outside and bread-like on the inside. Some people go to congee shops and enjoy a quick breakfast before going to work.
5. Food in Hong Kong style cafes: Fried eggs with sausages or ham, toasts, beef satay noodle soup, ham macaroni soup, sandwiches and milk tea etc. There are tons of things to choose from. My favorite things to order are beef satay noodle soup and iced chocolate drink. Since food takes a little time to cook, my family only went there during the weekends.
6. Cereal and Milk: The typical cereal, like rice krispies, cheerio, and corn flakes. I used to eat cocoa krispies all the time.

My favorite Hong Kong breakfast is beef satay noodle soup (沙嗲牛肉麵) from Hong Kong style cafes. If I can, I would eat it everyday. Instant ramen noodles are nothing special. Anyone can make it at home. But with the beef and satay, this instant ramen will be one of the best you ever have. The beef is tender and well-seasoned. Then, cook them in this nutty, savory and slightly sweet satay sauce. Scoop the goodness over the soup and noodles. Now, you have a bowl of irresistible satay noodle soup! Serve with a glass of iced milk tea or iced coffee. You are all set! Even though it may be a breakfast dish in Hong Kong, I don’t mind eating it for lunch or dinner at all. 🙂

Hong Kong Style Beef Satay Noodle Soup

2 servings

Ingredients:

–  ¾ pound flank steak (cut into 2×1/8-inch slices)

–  2 tablespoons soy sauce

–  1½ tablespoons sugar

–  dash of ground white pepper

–  ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water

–  4 tablespoons satay sauce

–  2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

–  2 packs of instant ramen noodles

–  4 teaspoons vegetable oil (divided)

–  3 garlic cloves (minced)

–  few drops of sesame oil

Marinade for beef:

–  1 tablespoon soy sauce

–  1½ teaspoons sugar

–  dash of ground white pepper

–  1/3 cup water

–  1 tablespoon corn starch

–  1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. To marinate the beef, in a medium bowl, add beef slices, soy sauce, sugar and ground white pepper. Mix well with hands. While mixing, slowly add the water. Add corn starch and combine. Add vegetable oil and mix again. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinade in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, white pepper and water.
3. In another bowl, mix together the satay sauce and smooth peanut butter.
4. In a large pan over high heat, warm 2 teaspoons oil. Add the marinated beef and cook until just cook through. Using a slotted spoon to remove the beef to a paper-lined plate. Discard all liquid. Rinse and clean the pan.
5. Fill a large pot half-full with water and bring a boil over high heat. Follow the noodle package direction to cook the noodles. At the last-minute of cooking, add ½ of a ramen-seasoning packet. Save 3 cups of soup (cooking liquid) and set aside. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain again and divide the noodles into 2 shallow-wide serving bowls.
6. In the large pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 teaspoons oil. Add garlic and satay mixture. Stir and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the soy sauce water and bring to a boil. Add the beef and cook until the sauce is thicken. Divide the beef and sauce into the 2 serving bowls. Top with just enough reserved soup to barely cover the noodles. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. The satay sauce that I used is Lee Kum Kee’s Satay Sauce. It can be bought from Chinese supermarkets or Amazon.
2. The instant ramen that I used is Demae Ramen. It is a Hong Kong brand. You can use any instant ramen noodles you like. If you want to try Demae Ramen, get them from Chinese supermarkets or Amazon.
3. Even though the satay sauce will season the soup and noodles, but I still like to season the soup with a little bit of ramen-seasoning. That will ensure the soup is never bland.
4. Don’t add too much soup to the noodles. Add just enough. Too much soup will dilute the satay sauce.
5. Just before eating, mix the beef and noodles lightly, so the sauce will be blended into the soup and noodles.

(Adapted from Dim Cook Guide)