Looking for something comforting? Try this Satay Beef Cellophane Noodles in Clay Pot (沙嗲牛肉粉絲煲). Rich and hearty with beef, enoki mushroom and cellophane noodles. It’s perfect with hot steamed rice. Even though it has “clay pot” in the name of this recipe, you don’t need a clay pot to make this dish!
When it comes to Hong Kong flavors, I think satay beef is one of those that is beloved. It’s meaty, bold in flavors and comforting. This Satay Beef Cellophane Noodles in Clay Pot (沙嗲牛肉粉絲煲) in fact was one of the dishes that I ordered a lot in restaurants when I was growing up in Hong Kong.
Clay pot dishes are very popular during winter. Although not every clay pot dish is cooked inside a clay pot from the start, clay pot is still a great tool to keep food sizzling hot. In this dish, clay pot is a way to keep food hot, so if you don’t have a clay pot, you can still make this.
The most significant ingredient of this dish is the satay sauce. Lee Kum Kee is the brand to go for. It’s a Hong Kong brand and its flavor is the closest to what I grow up with.
Other than beef, there are also enoki mushroom and cellophane noodles. Enoki mushroom is earthy and brings a little sweetness. Cellophane noodles act as sponges and soak up all that amazing flavors from the beef and sauce. Even through there’re noodles in here, we actually serve this dish with steamed rice. I know it sounds weird, but we see cellophane noodles as part of the dish, not starch. Cellophane noodles are actually cooked, but they need to be rehydrated. Soak in room temperature water for 2 hours. Then they’re ready to be used.
I don’t use chili often, but red chili is pretty important in this dish. It adds a little kick and balances out the richness. I used Thai chili. I added half into a bowl of seasoning, which has soy sauce, wine, salt and sugar. The little bit of spiciness from the chili gets into the seasoning liquid. When added to the beef and noodles, you get a little bit of kick but not too much. It was really nice. In Hong Kong, some other red chilis are used, but I can’t find any. So use any red chili you can find, but you may not need to use a full one.
The actual cooking is very quick. It only takes about 10 minutes, which makes this great for weeknights. Have all your ingredients and seasoning ready. Just work quickly and make sure not to overcook the beef. This rich satay beef dish will sure satisfy you. Savory with a hint of sweetness, meaty, crunch from the onion, and little kick from the chili. I’m really craving for this right now! Hope you do too!
For my families and friends in Hong Kong, they’re going through the worst covid outbreak since the pandemic, stay strong & healthy! It’ll get better, hang in there! Love you all! ❤️
Satay Beef Cellophane Noodles in Clay Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pack cellophane noodles (about 1.7 ounces)
- 1 pack enoki mushroom (about 3.5 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ large yellow onion (sliced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¾ pound thinly sliced beef
- 3½ tablespoons satay sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 1 green onion (chopped)
- ½ red chili (thinly sliced)
Seasoning:
- ½ red chili (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sake
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Cornstarch Slurry:
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons water (cold or room temp)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place cellophane noodles. Add enough room temperature tap water to cover the noodles. Soak for 2 hours. Drain and cut with a pair of scissors for 2 – 3 times, so the noodles are shorter to eat.
- For enoki, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the base of the cluster and pull the mushrooms apart into small bunches.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the seasoning. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm vegetable oil. Add onion & saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add mushroom and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in satay sauce and mix well. Add the beef and mix well. Cook until 50% cooked through. Reduce heat to medium. Add ¾ cup water and cellophane noodles. Mix and add the seasoning. Cook until the beef is done. Stir in cornstarch slurry.
- Heat a clay pot over medium-low heat. Transfer everything into the clay pot. Add green onion and half of the chili. Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.
Notes
- Cellophane noodles are made from mung beans, peas or potato starch. They are different than vermicelli, which is made from rice. However, you may see cellophane noodles being called “vermicelli” in packaging. I suggest that you take a look at the ingredient list. If it says “mung bean starch” or some kind of starch, you have the right noodles. If it says “rice”, that is NOT cellophane noodles. Cellophane noodles can be easily found in Asian supermarkets or from Amazon.
- Satay sauce and sacha sauce are completely different things and they taste very different.
- The satay sauce that I used is Lee Kum Kee’s Satay Sauce. It can be bought from Chinese supermarkets or Amazon.
- You can get thinly sliced beef from Asian supermarkets, like Japanese, Chinese or Korean. They are all pre-sliced. If you can’t find pre-sliced ones, you can cut it yourself. Buy a rib eye steak. Freeze it for 1 hour or so. With a sharp knife, cut the beef across the grain into 1/8-inch slices or as thin as you can cut it.
- The chili I used is a Thai chili. Thai chili is small, but very spicy, but that is the only red chili I can find in my supermarket. If you have other red chili, you can use that and you may not need to use a full one.
- If you don’t have a clay pot, just serve on a large bowl or large plate.
- Even though there are noodles in the recipe, it’s more for absorbing flavors. You will still want to serve the dish with rice.
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