Hapanese Cuisine

If you haven’t had much Thai food, Pad See Ew might not be the most familiar name. Literally translating to “fried soy sauce,” this quick-cooking dish highlights Chinese-inspired flavors of soy sauce and vibrant greens in a uniquely Thai way.

When you’re shopping for this dish, look for the widest rice noodles you can find. Traditionally, this is made with fresh sen yai rice noodles that are close to an inch wide (about the same width as Italian pappardelle noodles, if you need a point of reference). These are tricky to find without a well-stocked Asian market, so if you can’t find them, Pad Thai noodles will be just fine as a substitute.

Also, the beef in this dish is worth considering. A good rule of thumb is that, if you would serve the cut as a steak, then that cut would be perfect for a stir fry. Sirloin, top sirloin, ribeye, tenderloin, or even thin-sliced skirt steak would work great for this. If you’re using leftover steak (because, honestly, this is a fantastic way to utilize leftovers), wait until the end of the cooking process to add in the meat. You just need to warm it up, not cook it all over again.

Most versions of Pad See Ew include Chinese broccoli, a vegetable with thick, glossy leaves and florets that are smaller than its Western counterparts. I have noticed that it’s tricky to find that here in Idaho, so I’ve substituted bok choy to get a texture similar to those leaves.

This dish is bound to be a favorite!

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Pad See Ew

Sauce:

• 2 TBSP regular soy sauce
• 2 TBSP dark soy sauce
• 2 TBSP oyster sauce
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar

1 lb wide rice noodles

1 TBSP oil

8 oz steak, sliced thin

1/2 onion, julienned

4 stalks bok choy (separate the leaves from the stalks; slice the stalks into 1/2”-thick pieces, and cut the leaves into ribbons)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Cook and drain the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. Set a wok or large saucepan on medium-high heat with the oil; once hot, sear the steak on both sides. Toss the onions and bok choy stalks into the pan, then cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic; cook and stir for another 30 seconds. Push the meat and vegetables to one side, then add the eggs to the empty spot. Stir the eggs to scramble them; once cooked, stir them into the rest of the ingredients. Add the noodles and sauce to the pan, and toss to evenly combine. Add the bok choy leaves to the noodles in the last minute of cooking, cooking just long enough to wilt the leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves about 4.